Empathy
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: "Nothing lasts forever. It's important to appreciate beautiful things while they last." Itachi said, after the bubble burst. Years later, he would come to realize how true that was. He had been sent to capture the Six Tails, but his illness had gotten the best of him. When he woke up, he discovered something that never expected. Empathy, shining in those beautiful amber eyes.
1. Chapter 1

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** I got a request for a story with Utakata as the main character and decided to grant it. This is also yaoi story. That means there will be at least one male x male romantic pairing. Some parts of this story will line up with cannon, but it will eventually diverge radically. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not entirely certain what illness Itachi had. I know that it's the subject of much speculation. So my interpretation of it, may or may not be cannon.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

 _He hated doing this._ Itachi hated being part of the Akatsuki and going after the Tailed Beasts, but it was a necessary evil. Unfortunately, he had to capture this beautiful man standing in front of him and bring him back to extract the demon.

That extraction would kill him. Itachi knew this and so did his opponent. His opponent's name was Utakata and as far as Itachi could tell, he was a nomadic ninja.

"You were foolish to attack alone. I was under the impression that the Akatsuki always attacked in pairs." He says as he blows on his pipe and hurls bubbles at him.

Itachi manages to dodge. He had seen many different fighting styles over the years, but bubbles were a new one. For a moment, he allows himself to be briefly distracted by a long forgotten memory.

 _"If you blow on it, it will make a bubble." Itachi told Sasuke._

 _Sasuke only four. Everything was fascinating to his brother. Unfortunately, that was swiftly changing for Itachi. He had already graduated from the Academy. The young boy was quickly losing his childlike wonder, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate moments like this._

 _Moments when he and Sasuke were just an ordinary pair of brothers. Not ninjas. Just two family members, who were enjoying each other's company._

 _"Okay! Watch me! I'm gonna make a big one!" The younger Uchiha told him excitedly._

 _Itachi watched in amusement as Sasuke puffed and puffed. The child was putting all his energy into trying to produce a large bubble. It was rather endearing to put it mildly._

 _It took several tries, but eventually the boy managed it. If there was one thing that his foolish little brother possessed in spades, it was determination. Sasuke never gave up on anything. It was an admirable trait. One that Itachi hoped wasn't beaten out of him by the demands of the real world._

 _"Yes, you did. Indeed. It's a very fine bubble." Itachi praised him._

 _Sasuke was young. He still had Bubble Eyes. If his father wasn't so busy at the Military Police Force, he wouldn't have been able to resist what Itachi called the Bubble Eyes Jutsu. Sadly, the Uchiha knew that he would have to soon._

 _He was going to be going on more and more missions. It was the natural order of things. That and it wouldn't be long until Sasuke started at the Academy himself. Moments like this were going to be few and far inbetween soon enough._

 _"It's really pretty!" Sasuke observed joyfully._

 _"Yes, it is." Itachi replied with a smile as he watched the large bubble float into the air._

 _The way the light reflected off it produced a rainbow of colors. It was glorious to behold, especially when seen from his brother's eyes. Everything was a wonder to Ssauke._

 _"Oh no! It popped!" The younger boy said mournfully a few minutes later._

 _"That happens, Sasuke. Nothing lasts forever. It's important to appreciate beautiful things while they last." Itachi told him._

He didn't know at the time just how prophetic his words would turn out to be. Itachi had loved his family dearly and still did, but he hadn't made the most of his time with them. He had always been busy training or learning how to be the next Clan Head.

When he got older, he scarcely had any time with Sasuke. Though the boy clearly idolized him and yearned for Fugaku's approval. Approval that he would likely never realize he had, now that the other man was dead. Killed by his own hand.

"Ahhh!" Itachi cries out in pain as one of the bubbles hits their mark, exploding.

That was all it took. He tumbled over and started convulsing into a coughing fit. Blood spilling forth from his lips, but it wasn't from

Utakata's attack. Well at least most of it wasn't.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Utakata asks in confusion.

The other man was intelligent enough to realize that his attack shouldn't have triggered this reaction. Itachi opens his mouth to respond. He wasn't sure what he was actually going to say, but that didn't matter in the end. He just kept coughing and coughing.

"You're a mess." The Six Tails says simply before bringing his hand down on the back of his head and then everything went mercifully black.

What might have been only a few minutes or days later, Itachi awakens. Was he alive or dead? Had his illness finally claimed him?

He looks around warily trying to assess his situation. A ninja should always be aware of their surroundings. That could very well mean the difference between life and death.

"You're awake. Don't bother trying to run. You're in my bubble now. You won't get out of it." He hears a now familiar voice say.

Utakata had captured him. Why, he hadn't killed Itachi was a mystery. He certainly had the opportunity to do so and a good reason to want him dead. Itachi had tried to capture him and bring him back to the Akatsuki. In essence, the elder Uchiha brother had tried to murder him.

It didn't matter that Itachi wasn't killing him alone or didn't want to kill him. The point was that the Uchiha knew his actions would have resulted in the Six Tail's death. So did Utakata. So why had he spared him? It didn't make any sense.

"I must admit that I've never been held in such a beautiful prison before." Itachi replies.

It was best not to panic. That was likely what the nomadic ninja wanted. Frightened people tended to have rather loose lips and were more likely to spill their secrets.

Itachi couldn't afford to spill his. Though he needed to get more information about his current situation. What did Utakata want with him? Surely, it would have made more sense to kill him or just leave him for dead.

"You're calm for someone with one foot in the coffin." Came Utakata's reply.

The Uchiha couldn't help, but smile at that. He had had one foot in the coffin for years, ever since that fateful night. There was so much blood on his hands that he knew sooner or later, he would pay for it.

Sasuke would be the one to make him pay. Itachi was certain of that. It had to be Sasuke. For anyone else to take his life would be practically blasphemous.

"No one lives forever. So why should I be upset about my impending demise?" He inquires serenely.

That was why he was grateful to the beautiful man who had captured him. The amber eyed ninja could have killed him with ease and yet, he hadn't. That meant that Sasuke still had a chance to turn the page on this ugly chapter in their Clan's History.

"That's very wise. I doubt there are many who go to their death with such grace and dignity, especially willingly." The Nomadic Ninja says.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. How did Utakata know that he was going to welcome death's embrace. Did he recognize his illness?

"What makes you think that I'm going to my grave, willingly? Perhaps, I've simply accepted that my illness is terminal and have learned to make the best of my situation." The raven haired ninja retorts.

"While you were unconscious, I inspected your belongings. I saw medication for your illness. Lots of it. It will buy you time. Though if you know about that medication, I'm certain you know that your illness is treatable. You don't have to die from it, but it's fatal without the PROPER treatment." The bubble user says.

In hindsight, he should have seen that coming. Any ninja worth their salt would inspect the belongings of their captive. Frankly, Utakata would've have been a fool not to do so and the man didn't strike Itachi as a fool.

"That's all accurate." He says as he glances down at his fingernails.

All members of the Akatsuki painted their nails. He'd likely die with purple nails, even though his true loyalty was to the Leaf Village. For him, dying would be the ultimate symbol of the love he had for Sasuke and his village.

"You also had a family photo in your belongings. I know who you are. You're Itachi Uchiha. You're the Clan Slayer, but you're actions do not match up with your reputation." The other man continues.

Utakata didn't know the truth, but he suspected something was amiss. Did that really matter though? Either Utakata would kill him, Sasuke would kill him, or he would kill the Nomadic Ninja.

Dead men were less likely to tell secrets. Though Itachi knew that it was still possible. Your corpse could reveal a lot about you and that was just one of the many reasons why Uchihas were so paranoid about properly disposing of their Clansmen's and Clanswomen's bodies.

"I fail to see why that would concern you in the slightest. It would be smart to kill me now. It was nothing personal. If you didn't have a Tailed Beast, it's unlikely that I would have attacked you. Orders are orders though." He says.

Sasuke would take his eyes. At least that's what Itachi wanted do happen. After that, he didn't know what would happen to his body. Perhaps, Sasuke would simply burn it. That would be the wisest course of action.

Of course, this was his brother. His wonderfully, foolish little brother. There was really no telling what he would do with his corpse. Though Itachi did know one thing. His name would never be on the Leaf's Memorial Stone.

"Killing you wouldn't make much sense. If I kill you, I still have to worry about the rest of the Akatsuki. You have valuable information that could help me stay alive. Let's start with what happened to your partner. As I said earlier, I know that the Akatsuki like to travel in pairs. Where is Kisame?" He asks.

His question shifts the trajectory of Itachi's thoughts. Beautiful and clever. That was certainly a rare combination.

Not that it mattered at this point, but Itachi knew what his preferences were. Gender mattered little to him. He could appreciate the beauty of the female and male form with equal intensity.

"Why would I tell you where Kisame is? If I do that, you'll likely kill me." Itachi replies.

Utakata certainly was beautiful. Eyes like amber and rich dark brown hair. He had a sleek muscular build that was framed rather nicely in his blue robes.

Not to mention, he had a very nice voice. Itachi had always been gifted with very keen hearing and it had only grown more so recently. Most likely, it was a compensation for his rapidly blurring vision.

"A man who has accepted his impending death, but still doesn't want me to kill him. Interesting. Are you afraid of pain? I doubt that's it. You wouldn't have killed most of your Clan, if you were truly afraid of physical pain." He says thoughtfully.

Well at least he had been able to see this before he died. Itachi doubted that he'd ever enter any version of a Blessed Realm, after his death. Still at least now he knew what angels looked like. That was something.

"I'm not afraid of physical pain and I'm not going to tell you what you wish to know. You are only wasting your time by keeping me here and your supplies. I doubt a Nomadic Ninja carries around enough supplies for two people." He reasons.

"That's true about the supplies. Maybe, I should just drag you to the newest village and have the Leaf send someone to get you. I'd likely make quite the large bounty off it. The man who killed the Uchiha Clan has to be worth something." Utakata comments.

Itachi didn't believe that the man was after money. He doubted that even Utakata sincerely believed he would fall for that. Nomadic Ninjas generally didn't adhere to that lifestyle because they wanted to get rich.

That and those amber eyes didn't hold greed. They were sad, intelligent, and curious. The elder Uchiha brother would have recognized the emotion of greed in those ethereal orbs easily, but it was nowhere to be found.

"If you were after a bounty, you would have already turned me in by now and we certainly wouldn't be having this conversation." The Uchiha states plainly.

Instead what he saw shocked him. Empathy. Utakata didn't know the truth. There was no possible way that he could have known the truth, but those eyes felt as if they were piercing through his very soul.

Perhaps his illness and his loneliness were playing tricks on him though. He was seeing things that weren't there. Why would a man who had tried to kill feel empathy towards him?

"You're right. You're a bit too clever for your own good. Now, why do you have that picture? It doesn't make much sense. You murdered your entire family, but are sentimental enough to carry that with you?" Utakata asks.

Maybe, he had some sort of Mind Reading Jutsu. There were all sorts of Jutsus and some of them were of the Interrogation Variety. It was possible. Though Itachi didn't think it was likely.

Surely, he would have noticed. If a Jutsu like that had been cast, he would have noticed. He wasn't that far gone. Was he?

"I keep it as a reminder that those who have great power shouldn't be afraid to use it. You're wrong though. I didn't kill all of them. I spared Sasuke. My brother. This is a matter of public record." Itachi taunts him.

Whatever the case, Itachi wasn't going to allow Utakata to lay all his secrets bare. There was a chance that Sasuke might find out the truth, if he did that and that was just unacceptable.

No. Everything that he had done, he had done for his brother's sake. So that one day, the younger Uchiha could live a normal, happy life. That wouldn't be possible, if the truth got out.

"I have wondered about that. Why did you spare him? You can't tell me that it was merely because his age. A man who would kill hundreds of his own kin, wouldn't care about such a trivial detail." Utakata says.

This was not a topic of conversation that Itachi wanted to be having. He was simply going to have to change it. Yes. That's exactly what he must do.

"If you're wondering why I don't seek treatment, it's very simple. I can hardly walk into a hospital for the procedures. I'd be recognized as a Criminal Ninja immediately." Itachi says.

"That's true, but I think we both know that you could get around that. You could get around it easily with a Transformation Jutsu. All you would have to do is go to a civilian hospital. The Bingo Book lists you as a genius. Someone with your brilliant mind would have been able to realize that with ease. So I'm forced to conclude that there is another reasons. I just don't know what." The amber eyed man admits.

Curiosity was a powerful force. Unfortunately, it wasn't one that Itachi could indulge in at the moment. He needed to get out of here as quickly as possible and find Kisame.

"You can speculate as much as you want. I'm going to find a way out of this bubble and then I shall take my leave." The Uchiha informs him bluntly.

Beautiful or not, Itachi had a mission. He was going to fulfill it and he certainly wasn't going to be stopped by bubbles! After all, the Will of Fire still burned strongly within him in its own way. It would take more than a few bubbles to put that out.

"I suppose we shall see if that's indeed the case. I believe you killed them, but I don't believe that you did it for the reasons that everyone else seems to believe. Your voice gives away nothing, but your eyes give away a great deal. Of course, none of this is really any of my business." He says as he pours himself some tea.

Itachi was suddenly reminded of his own thirst. How long had he been unconscious? It could have been minutes or it could have been hours.

"If your going to bore me with your questions, you should at least have the decency to put me out of my misery or give me a drink at the very least. You're a very poor host." Itachi states.

"My apologies. I'll admit that it has been awhile since I last had company. Forgive my lack of manners." He says as he pours a glass of tea for Itachi and places it through the bubble.

Itachi didn't bother trying to escape. There was no point. If the man felt comfortable enough to reach into the bubble to give him something, there was a good chance that meant he wasn't going to be able to escape anyway.

"Thank you." Itachi says as he sips the tea.

He did feel better. Obviously, he had been dehydrated and likely still was. That implied that he had been out for awhile. How long though?

"How long was I unconscious?" Itachi asks.

"About three days. Your body needed the rest. I can get you more tea, after you've finished that glass. I want answers. I'm entitled to them as we both know that the Akatsuki won't give up." He states.

That was true. The Akatsuki were going to get all the Tailed Beasts. That was their main objective at the moment. They were both dead men walking.

"I can't give you that information. If you let me go though, I can make it quick. I'll die only a few months, after you anyway. There is no harm that will come from releasing me. You're not delusional enough to believe that you can outrun the Akatsuki forever." The raven haired man says.

"How kind of you. You're offering to kill me softly? That's such a tempting offer. Let me think on that. No. I think that I'll pass on that. Don't underestimate me. The Akatsuki will not take my head that lightly." He hisses at him.

It wasn't his head that they were interested in though. The Akatsuki wanted the Six Tails. If Utakata wasn't the host, it was doubtful they ever would have come after him.

"It's not your head that they care about." He whispers.

"I know that. It was the principle of the thing. I want to know two things. How to avoid the Akatsuki or defeat them and why." The blue robed ninja informs him.

The first was understandable. He wanted to live. The Akatsuki were a threat to that goal. It was only natural that he would want to avoid them or defeat them.

It was the why that was more confusing. Though Itachi suspected he knew what the other man was referring to. He hoped that he was wrong, but the Uchiha doubted that he was.

"A quick death is your best chance to avoid the Akatsuki and I'm afraid that I don't understand your second question." He lies with ease.

On some level, it disturbed Itachi. It disturbed him the ease with which lies escaped his lips. Once upon a time, he had been an honest person. An honest person who had watched his innocent baby brother, blow bubbles. Those days were long gone though.

"I think that I'll take my chances as a member of the living. Thank you, for your concern though. I mean why did you kill them? Why did you kill your family? I've looked at your files. You were the Leaf's favorite prodigy and you were certainly beloved by your Clan. It doesn't make any sense." Utakata continues.

"I killed them to test the limits of my abilities. I was stronger than them and that was that." Itachi answers him stiffly.

"Then why did you spare Sasuke?" The other ninja asks knowingly.

Once again, Itachi was struck by the feeling that this ninja could peer into his very soul. He knew that he was lying. How the other man knew, Itachi wasn't sure. He just knew that he did.

"Why do you care?" Itachi volleys back at him.

"I know that it shouldn't matter to me. There is just something about you that doesn't fit with what I read in the book. You're a bit of an enigma. You killed your entire Clan and yet, you carry their picture. You're ready to go to your death with dignity and yet, you clearly wish to live and carry medication with you. It's all rather perplexing to say the least. That and perhaps, I'm merely bored." Utakata says with a sly smile.

That sly smile had him feeling like an Academy Student again. It had been awhile since Itachi had given anyone more than a passing glance. Unfortunately, he was certainly doing so with the other man.

The other man who was his target. The other man who he was going to have to kill. The other man who shouldn't be anywhere near him, but insisted on saving his life.

"Yes, I would wager that it's merely the last part of the equation that holds the largest appeal to you. I wouldn't think that being a Nomadic Ninja would be such a dull lifestyle. If you're really so dangerously bored that you are willing to converse with your future murderer over tea, well I would say that you should consider another career choice." The Uchiha counsels him sagely.

"That may very well be true, but I'm still going to get answers out of you." He counters.

Itachi sincerely hoped not. Though he knew that it was a possibility. He really couldn't let his attraction to the other man get in the way. Sasuke. Sasuke still needed him.

His foolish little brother might not realize it, but he did. Sasuke needed to kill him to secure a sense of closure. Now was not the time to be focused on getting a lover.

"You're certainly welcome to try, but I feel that it's only fair to warn you. You're wasting your time." The raven haired ninja warns him.

It didn't matter how attractive Utakata was. It didn't matter that he was intelligent and apparently empathetic. Brave and more than a touch foolish. His fate had been sealed long before he was born.

The Uchiha Clan had been on the outskirts of the Leaf Village for generations. That was naturally going to sow the seeds of discords. If their Clan hadn't plotted a Coup, the Leaf would have attacked first.

"I think that I'll take my chances. Though I believe that a change in tactics might very well be in order. Perhaps you're the sort of man who prefers the carrot to the stick." He replies smoothly.

Could it have been prevented? Possibly. In the end, it didn't matter. They were all dead. All of them, except for Sasuke.

So lost was Itachi in his thoughts that Utakata's words didn't register at first. Carrot? Stick? What on Earth was he talking about? That was the last thought on his mind, before Utakata slips inside the bubble and Itachi felt the other man's lips on his own.


	2. Chapter 2

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2

Utakata had never met such an enigma before. Itachi Uchiha was an endless series of contradictions. Everything about him from his looks to his past made absolutely no sense.

He knew enough from the Bingo Book to realize that Itachi had been considered a Prodigy, even before he left the Leaf. He was arguably one of the strongest ninjas alive and yet, he had fallen over on the battlefield so easily. He had nearly died.

"I believe that this is a kiss. Not a carrot." Itachi whispers as he looks up at him underneath those ridiculously long eyelashes of his.

He was a Clan Slayer and yet, he carried around a family photo. It was as if, Itachi still truly cared about the family that he had slaughtered. That didn't line up with the image of the ruthless killer who was feared throughout the Five Nations for what he had done on that night.

"I believe that you're smart enough to know what a metaphor is." Utakata replies as he deepens the kiss.

Itachi seemed borderline suicidal and yet, he took medication for his condition. The man had to know that his illness wasn't necessarily fatal, but he refused to get the proper treatment. Utakata knew damn well that Itachi could have easily gotten the care that he so desperately needed. So why hadn't he?

For that matter, why were his lips this _soft?_ Why were his eyelashes that _long_? And perhaps most importantly, how was it possible for a cold-blooded killer to have _soulful_ and _sad_ eyes?

"And I believe that you are perspective enough to realize when someone is joking." Itachi whispers between kisses.

His intention had been to shock the other man into talking more. He hadn't really expected the kiss to feel this _good._ Itachi was undeniably attractive, but butchers were not supposed to be good kissers.

Alright. Perhaps that last thought had been rather naïve and childish. Still Utakata would like to believe that someone who would kill without any remorse would not be a good kisser and would be an even worse lover. That didn't appear to be the case with this particular Akatsuki Member at all though.

"My apologies. I didn't realize that S Class Criminal Ninjas were really just comedians underneath it all." He murmurs.

He didn't like the way that he sounded a little breathless. He wasn't some Genin with his first crush. Utakata was smart enough to know better than to fall for a pretty face.

Though pretty was an understatement when it came to Itachi Uchiha. Still it was the principle of the thing. Whatever his reasons, this man was capable of killing his own Clan. He was not someone to be taken lightly.

"It varies quite extensively. For example, Deidara is quite fond of art. He thinks of explosions at art and thus his artistic expression usually results in much bloodshed, but there you have it." Itachi informs him with amusement dancing in his dark orbs.

His smoky gray eyes. They weren't crimson red with the Sharingan. That wasn't a good sign. If Itachi was capable of manifesting it at the moment, he would have. After all, the Uchiha was a prisoner.

It would only be natural, that Itachi would want to reverse his current situation. Most likely, he'd love nothing more than to get out of that bubble and tie him up. Itachi would then proceed to take him to the Akatsuki and that would be the end of him.

"I see and what about Kisame?" He asks, deciding to play this game.

There was a chance that Itachi might slip up. He might reveal something useful and if not, well there was no harm in it. In his current state, Utakata doubted that he could move Itachi outside of the humble cabin without killing him.

"Kisame is Kisame. His primary interest is sharks. Well that and his sword. He just loves killing. He doesn't really have any hobbies. Not unless one considers killing a hobby." Itachi says thoughtfully.

Utakata shakes his head. He didn't know what to make of it. There seemed to be some level of affection in Itachi's voice when he spoke of the other Akatsuki Member. Not enough to be his lover, but there was something there.

Were they friends? Did Itachi really consider someone who killed for fun to be his comrade? Utakata didn't know and that disturbed him, especially after enjoying the other man's kisses so much.

"Does that bother you? I think that we've established that you don't enjoy killing for killing's sake." He dares himself to ask.

"I don't believe that we established anything of the sort. You're assuming too much. I think you're blinded by lust." Itachi taunts him.

Sadly, that might very well be the case. The Uchiha seemed to have bewitched him somehow. If he didn't know better, he would think it was some kind of Genjutsu.

He knew that wasn't possible though. The man was at death's door. There was no way he could have cast something at him as he doubled over like that and he would have noticed, if Itachi had tried to do so since he woke up.

"Is arrogance an Uchiha trait or just part of your natural charm?" He retorts.

"A little of both, really. Though I would debate the accuracy of such a label. Is it arrogant to state a simple fact? You're thinking with your kunai. We both know that." Itachi continues.

The criminal ninja was surprisingly sassy in a rather dry way. It was yet another puzzle piece. As much as Utakata was enjoying the banter, he still needed answers.

"That might be true, but your arrogance isn't my concern at the moment. I want to know more about the Akatsuki and why you did it. I don't believe the stories anymore. You didn't do it just to test your limits." The amber eyed man says.

He smirks in satisfaction as he sees Itachi wince. Cold-blooded killers didn't wince at the memory of their deeds. Clearly, something was going on with Itachi.

Something more than was listed in any Bingo book and he was going to find out what. Curiosity was a powerful force. One that apparently, even someone with the Six Tails residing in them couldn't fully resist.

"Why does it matter? You never knew my Clan and as far as I can tell, you have no affiliation with the Leaf Village. Why do you care?" Itachi asks softly.

"I don't know. Curiosity, I suppose. That and I doubt that someone who would slaughter their kin for fun would be able to kiss as you do. Someone who would do such a thing wouldn't have the sad eyes that you possess." He says.

Itachi gives him a soft, sad smile as he glances towards the window. It was obvious that the other man didn't know what to say at the moment and Utakata couldn't blame him. It was unlikely that anyone had ever actually asked him why he did it before.

Well save for perhaps, his younger brother. Sasuke. The fact that Sasuke was alive was confusing to say the least. Why would he kill hundreds of people, but spare only one boy? It didn't make any sense.

"I don't believe that you would believe me, even if I told you." Itachi whispers, after thinking about the matter for a moment or two.

"If I'm not going to believe you, why are you so scared to tell me? No one is going to believe a Nomadic Ninja's word about a criminal. Our reputation is scarcely better than your own." Utakata says.

Itachi pauses for a moment and nods. It was likely that the other ninja realized the truth of his words. Nomadic Ninjas were looked down upon. A lot. Though they did fill an important role in society. They took the jobs that nobody else wanted or lent a hand when there was a ninja shortage in the various villages.

"That's true enough. It's not really fair though. Just because you don't choose to tie yourself to a particular village, doesn't mean that you are completely immoral or selfish." The Uchiha replies.

"That's not true in my case. I'm very selfish, but you're correct. In general, Nomadic Ninjas get characterized very unfairly." He says with a sigh as he slips out of the bubble and pours himself some more tea.

The cabin was small. It had only three rooms. A bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom. For now though, it would accommodate their needs just fine.

That and he liked the cozy wooden walls, the romantic fireplace, and simple bed. The kitchen was rather basic, but that didn't matter. His needs were simple and he doubted that Itachi was going to protest anything at the moment.

"You're helping the man who tried to kill you. You've tended to my needs and you haven't once attacked me. Those do not seem like the actions of a selfish person." Itachi observes.

"You clearly haven't known me long enough to have formed an accurate assessment then. Though we aren't discussing my issues. We're discussing yours." He states.

Itachi shakes his head. It was as if the Uchiha thought that Utakata was behaving like a naughty child. That only served to further heighten his indignation though.

Utakata wasn't exactly sure how old Itachi was, but he estimated that he was at least a few years older than Itachi. He was no child and he didn't care to be looked at as though he was one. This was especially true, considering the heated kisses that they had exchanged.

"I would rather that we didn't." Itachi says.

The Nomadic Ninja could still taste the other man on the tip of his tongue. His lips still tingled where Itachi's had touched them. He could still remember Itachi's unique earthy scent with perfect clarity and yet, Itachi was looking at him as though he was a poorly behaved child?!

"Well considering you are my prisoner, I don't think that's really your decision to make." Utakata snaps at him.

He hated it. Utakata hated how utterly irritated he sounded. It was just frustrating. Not understanding the other man was frustrating and it showed in his voice.

"I don't see why you believe that to be the case. If you wanted to kill me, you would have already done it by now. The same goes for wanting to cash in on my bounty. At the moment, you're all bark and no bite." Itachi whispers softly.

In that damn, unflappable voice of his. He wanted to get a rise out of the other man. His kiss had stirred a reaction, but the Criminal Ninja was still infuriatingly composed. It was absolutely maddening.

"Would you prefer it, if I put a kunai to that pretty throat of yours?" He demands.

"I've never heard of a throat called that before. Do you really think that it's pretty?" Itachi asks in amusement.

Well amusement was emotion. Still he felt like Itachi was laughing at him with his eyes. That was even more irritating, really.

"I think that you've looked in a mirror at some point during your life and already know the answer to that question." He grumbles.

Utakata couldn't believe this. He was actually grumbling. The bubble user still didn't know why he cared about Itachi to begin with. Perhaps the other man was right though. He might simply be thinking with his kunai.

Lust had a way of overwhelming the senses and crafting fantasies out of thin air. What did he really think was going to happen? That Itachi was going to spill all his secrets and that they were going to fall madly in love? Ridiculous.

"As amusing as this all is, I'm afraid that I must go. Kisame will be looking for me and you are placing an even bigger target on your back. I can still lead him away from here. After that, I can make no guarantee what will happen to you." Itachi says.

Was that concern in his voice or was he just imagining it? Inwardly, Utakata curses his reaction. He was acting like some besotted Academy Girl. What on Earth was wrong with him?!

"Are you always so sympathetic towards your potential murder victims or should I just count myself lucky?" He asks.

He needed to get control of the situation. Desperately so. The easiest way to do that would be to kill Itachi, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

It would just be wrong somehow. It'd be wrong to kill someone that beautiful. Someone that fascinating, but it would be the smart thing to do. So why couldn't he do it?

"It varies extensively." Itachi informs him with no small trace of mirth in his voice.

The bastard was enjoying this. He was enjoying playing with him. Really, he should just slit his pretty little throat and be done with it!

"I imagine so. Speaking of your potential victims, you never did tell me why you did it. You said that I wouldn't believe you, but let me be the judge of that. Besides, what do you have to lose? You're already intent on dying, anyway. You can at least go to your grave without burdening yourself with whatever secrets you're currently carrying around with you." The Nomadic Ninja reasons.

"That's quite clever. Trying to satisfy your own curiosity while pretending that it is solely for my benefit." Itachi replies.

Damn him. Was there nothing that he could get past this man? This was sheer madness.

"Well the two are not mutually exclusive." He says slyly.

It was gratifying to see Itachi's cheeks turn a light shade of pink. Who knew that Uchihas could blush? That was surely one for the record book.

"That may be true, though I don't see why you would want that to be the case. I tried to kill you." The Uchiha whispers.

"I know that you did. I also know that it was likely nothing personal. I'm a ninja. I understand what it means to kill to survive. I'd rather not die though. I don't think that deep down, you really want to either." The amber eyed man observes.

"We all die sometime. We're not immortal. Anyone that tries to live forever is a fool. Orochimaru is one such fool." The raven haired man ponders out loud.

Utakata frowns. He might be a Nomadic Ninja, but he was familiar with that name. He was one of the Legendary Sannin and by far the most, unethical of the three. Had Itachi had dealings with that man?

"That's true. I do not pine after immorality, but I seek to enjoy this mortal life for as long as I am able." The older ninja informs him.

"That's very wise. Though life shouldn't be numbered in the number of breathes that we take, but by how much happiness we make." Itachi says.

Those certainly didn't seem like the words of the man who had killed hundreds of people for fun. There was most certainly more going on than Itachi was letting on. Utakata was determined to find out what.

"That's very wise and surprisingly sweet of you. Though I must confess that I would rather not talk about the likes of Orochimaru." The nomad states.

"I can't blame you. He's a rather unpleasant subject." Itachi says as he laughs quietly.

It was a beautiful laugh. Utakata was beginning to suspect that there wasn't one thing about Itachi Uchiha that wasn't alluring though. Well other than his bloody past.

"That's true. I'd rather talk about you." Utakata says as he strides back into the bubble and kisses the other man once more.

He knew that this wasn't a very smart venture to undertake. Trying to seduce an S Class Criminal wasn't the most intelligent decision that he had ever made, but it was something that he was going to do. He might as well see if Itachi was interested in the carrot approach or not.

Itachi smiles into the kiss and wraps his arms around the other man's neck. Utakata could feel the smile against his lips and that made him smile in return as he runs his fingers through Itachi's dark silken locks. He'd never felt hair like this before. It was truly like silk.

"You are quite the charmer. It's a shame that you have no interest in women. You could have charmed the skirt off of any that had caught your eye, if you did." Itachi whispers, after breaking the kiss.

"I've always preferred men. It seems like you share in that preference though." Utakata says.

Suddenly, he realizes that there was as chance Itachi might be faking his attraction. Certainly, there were many ninjas who were trained in the Art of Seduction.

It mattered little in some cases, what gender they were plotting to seduce. They could be trained to please both. No matter their own personal preference. Did Itachi fall into that camp though? He didn't know and that disturbed him.

"Truthfully, it matters little what I prefer. I'm a dead man walking, remember? If you are genuinely curious, I suppose I'll tell you though. I like men and women. Gender doesn't matter much to me." The Uchiha answers.

"Well what does matter to you?" Utakata dares himself to ask.

"In general or are you asking what matters to me when selecting a lover?" He asks cautiously.

Both really. This man fascinated him to no end. He wanted to know his every secret and he had no idea why. This type of obsession wasn't healthy.

Once again, he briefly ponders whether Itachi might have put him under some sort of Genjutsu. It would certainly explain his unusual behavior. Unfortunately, he was forced to dismiss that possibility again.

"Ideally, I'd like to know the answer to both." Utakata replies honestly.

"For a lover, honesty and loyalty are important to me. Intelligence as well, of course. Genuine affection. I have always had a weakness for a beautiful pair of eyes as well. Strength both inner and outer is another factor. Creativity is something that appeals to me as well. Though none of that matters. My illness or brother will kill me before long." The Uchiha says warily.

Itachi was far too weak to have accomplished that Genjutsu and when would he have had time to cast it? No. Utakata was forced to admit that his attraction to Itachi was one of his own mind and not one that the Uchiha had forced.

"Who knew that you were such a romantic? Though you didn't answer the second part of my question." He chides him gently.

"My village and my brother. That's why I spared him. They allowed it only because of his age. I wouldn't have done it, if Sasuke wasn't allowed to live." Itachi says in a voice barely above a whisper.

Utakata blinks. So there it was. They had finally gotten to the heart of the matter. Itachi had been asked to kill the Uchiha Clan and had only done so on the condition that his brother be spared.

That still left several questions though. Who had asked him to do it? Why had they asked him to do it and were those people still alive?

"Why did you do it? I can tell by the pain in your voice that you took no pleasure in it. So why did you kill them? Was it solely because they threatened your brother?" The Nomadic Ninja asks.

"That was a large reason why I did it, but there were others. Many others. The Uchiha Clan helped to found the Leaf, but the other power players were wary of our power. They wanted to use us in battle, but they never wanted our Clan to rise to political power. So there were ways that they chose to prevent that." Itachi mutters bitterly.

That sounded ominous. The Leaf apparently was not what it seemed. Utakata had always thought it an honorable village, but it looked like there were some rather ugly roots hidden beneath the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"And how did they prevent it?" He forces himself to inquire.

"They separated us. We were given our own District. That and we were put in charge of the Leaf's Military Police Force. At the time, it seemed like an honor. It seemed like an honor to be tasked with protecting the Leaf internally. After all, only powerful ninjas can police other ninjas." Itachi sighs out.

That sounded even worse. That sort of situation was just a recipe for disaster. Isolation meant that the other villagers wouldn't know them as well. Fear of the unknown was a primal emotion. One that was hard to resist.

"Then what happened?" Utakta asks softly.

"That arrangement to a large extent worked for a few generations. It was becoming more clear though that it wouldn't for much longer. After the Nine Tails attacked, many thought that our Clan was behind it. The Sharingan can control the Nine Tails in some cases. My father had the Mangekyo Sharingan. It's a rare, more advanced version of the normal one and it can control the Nine Tails." He continues on.

"So you were blamed for the attack and the fact that you were isolated and already disliked due to your role in the village, made you into easy scapegoats." The nomad observes.

Itachi nods in agreement and Utakata sighs. This was horribly depressing. He had a pretty good idea where this was all going now.

"Precisely. My Clan was plotting a Coup. Somehow, the Leaf found out about it. I was given a choice. I could side with my Clan and fight by their side in a Civil War or I could kill them." The other man whispers.

"A difficult choice by any means. What made you decide to choose the Leaf?" Utakata presses on gently.

This was clearly a painful subject for him. For some reason, the idea of causing the other man more pain was an unpleasant one. He knew that he shouldn't care, but he did.

"Even if my Clan had won, the Leaf would have been weakened. Other villages would have seen that and attacked. It could have triggered a Great Ninja War. It's likely tens of thousands would have died. I chose to take the lives of hundreds, rather than let that happen. That and it was agreed that Sasuke could be spared. He was a small child at the time. He had no part in the plot." Itachi says as a silent tear streaks down his cheek.

Utakata sighs and caresses Itachi's cheek. Seeing him cry, bothered him. It bothered him far more than it should, but he decides to push that thought to the side for now.

"You did the right thing. It wasn't the easy thing, but it was the right one. You saved far more lives than you took. I imagine that you gave them all far more merciful deaths than the Leaf would have done otherwise." He says, trying to comfort the beautiful, wounded creature sitting only a foot away from him.

"I like to think that I did. Sasuke came home, right after I finished. I lied to him. I told him that I did it to test my limits. I wanted him to hate me. I wanted him to despise me. I wanted him to grow strong enough to kill me." He continues on.

It seemed that some sort of dam had burst. The words were now pouring out of Itachi's mouth, almost faster than Utakata could understand them. Unfortunately, he could decipher them and with each passing moment, he grew more and more furious.

"You painted yourself as the villain, so that he could be the hero. Once you were dead, the Leaf wouldn't have to worry about its dirty little secret getting out. Sasuke would have the chance to start over. That's why you're taking the medication. You want to prolong your life. You want to live long enough so that he can kill you." The nomad observes in a horrified voice.

"Precisely. You're very intelligent and you would have made an excellent interrogator. Truly, you missed your calling. Now, may I please have some more tea?" Itachi asks.


	3. Chapter 3

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and special thanks to _**celestia193**_ for brainstorming with me about this story.

Chapter 3

A few days later and Utakata reluctantly had to admit that Itachi was right about one thing. He was a Nomadic Ninja and he generally didn't travel with enough supplies for two people. The amber eyed man was going to have to get more, if he really wanted to nurse Itachi back to health (or at least stabilize him).

"It's a childish impulse. That much I'll admit, but I told you so." Itachi says as he dines on his simple meal of rice.

Utakata almost wanted to laugh. Itachi Uchiha was saying, _"I told you so_." It was just such a normal thing to say and normal wasn't a word that he associated with the other man. Captivating, fascinating, intelligent, beautiful, stubborn, and proud were some words that readily came to his mind when describing the other ninja, but never normal.

"You're right. It is a childish impulse. Really, I have come to expect a certain level of sophistication when it comes to the level of discourse that you provide me with. I must say that I find myself rather disappointed. You sounded like a Genin, just now." He replies in mock somberness.

"My most humble apologies. I did not mean to disappoint you. I shall strive to do better going forward." The Uchiha promises with a mischievous lilt to his tone.

Utakata couldn't believe it, but apparently Itachi did have a sense of humor. Idly, he couldn't help but wonder, what the Leaf Villagers would have made of that discovery. That ignorant village really had no idea what was going on in the shadows.

To be fair, the Six Tails couldn't judge them too harshly. It wasn't as if, Utakata had been privy to the truth until very recently. The only reason he knew is because Itachi told him and Itachi was far too kind to shatter the illusion that most of the Leaf Villagers currently held about the nature of their village.

"Good. See that you do. I'm not keeping you around because of your good looks." He retorts.

An illusion of innocence. The amber eyed man was certain that most Leaf Villagers had no idea what really went on in the shadows. Did any of them know what sort of sacrifices Itachi had made for THEM?! He doubted it.

"I'm flattered that you find me so attractive, but I confess myself rather curious. Why do you keep me around, if it isn't to admire my aesthetical appeal?" The other ninja asks slyly.

"Mostly for the intelligent conversation. That's a rare luxury in this world. It also doesn't hurt that you are an excellent kisser." He says.

"I hope that when they update the Bingo Book, they add that to my resume. Excellent kisser isn't something that I imagine is listed on too many other Criminal Ninja's pages." He says pleasantly and Utakata snorts in amusement.

Itachi was Itachi. The man was one of a kind. He wasn't the most talkative individual, but the Uchiha made sure that every word counted. When he did decide to converse, the Criminal Ninja seemed to greatly enjoy throwing other people for a loop.

"Yes, I imagine now. In any case, you were right about the supplies. I'll have to go to the nearest village and pick some up. Unfortunately, that would leave you unprotected. So I shall leave some clones with you, just in case." He informs him.

"Such a valiant knight, you are. Always making sure that your maiden is well protected." The younger man taunts him.

"Itachi." Utakata growls out in warning.

The last thing that he wanted was for the Uchiha to further cement this foolish notion of his. This foolish notion that he was some sort of romantic. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In this world, creating bonds was the fastest way to pain. Utakata had had enough of that to last a lifetime. So why was he getting so attached to Itachi? He should know better.

"Or perhaps you would prefer to be the dragon? The dragon that is guarding his horde. In this case, that would be me." He continues on cheerfully.

Itachi had a very serious illness. True, it didn't have to be fatal. Though clearly, the Uchiha wanted it to be or at least serious enough that Sasuke would be able to kill him with ease.

Sasuke. His younger brother who had no idea what was really going on. The ninja who had left the Leaf in search of revenge against someone. Someone who loved him more than anyone else.

"Who knew that you were such a fanciful sort?" Utakata retorts.

"Mmm. I think you did. That's probably why you kissed me. Repeatedly." The other man observes smugly.

Utakata honestly didn't know who to feel more sorry for. Itachi who had to kill his entire family to save his village or Sasuke. The boy who had lost everything and didn't even know the real reason why.

Was it worse to be the hero who was forced to play the role of the villain or the victim who thought that you were playing the role of the hero? He didn't know. It was unsettling to think about.

"That had more to do with your good looks than anything else." He states as he forms several clones.

"I think that we both know that you aren't that shallow." Itachi says.

There was a trace of smugness to his voice. It was subtle, but it was there. Obviously, Itachi was enjoying their little game or whatever was between them.

Not that much would come of it. Itachi seemed bound and determined to walk into his next life. A life where Utakata was unlikely to ever see him again.

"No. I don't believe that we over made that observation." Utakata says, paraphrasing what Itachi had said to him not that long ago.

"Touché. I'll be here when you get back, but you already knew that. It's not as though I can really go anywhere." He says as he gestures to the bubble.

"Exactly. I'll be back soon." Utakata assures him and with that, he sets off.

It didn't take long for him to arrive at the nearest village. The village was small, but beautiful. Though he wasn't here for the scenery, he could certainly appreciate it.

It was nestled in a valley and it had a large, winding stream. The houses were all charming log cabins and he could see children playing in the streets. There were fields not far off into the distance.

"Now, I just need to find a store or something similar." He mutters to himself.

He needed more food, water, and medical supplies. The last part was the most important. Itachi still had some medication with him. It would last awhile, but there were other kinds of medical supplies that would be helpful.

"I'm not going to sit around and watch him die." Utakata says to himself.

The Nomadic Ninja had never connected to another person so quickly and intensely before. It was the height of stupidity to fall for a dying man, but that didn't change the fact that Utakata was. If only there was some way to convince Itachi not to throw his life away.

Sadly, that was easier said than done. The Uchiha wanted to atone for his sins. He wanted to give his brother the sense of closure that his death would provide and Sasuke would never know the truth.

"It all fits together rather neatly." He growls bitterly underneath his breath.

Things would work out well for Sasuke. The man would avenge his family and be a hero in the Leaf Village's eyes. He'd likely marry some pretty girl and have a bunch of children. The Uchiha Clan would be restored.

They would also work out well for the Leaf Village as a whole, especially those involved in the Massacre. Their dirty little secrets would die out with Itachi and the Leaf would still have the Sharingan bloodline. It was no wonder why they were willing to grant Itachi's request for Sasuke's life to be spared.

"This way, they get to keep the Sharingan." Utakata says as he nibbles on his pipe.

It was a nervous habit. One that he was trying to break, but he doubt he ever would. At the moment though, it gave him something to concentrate on as his thoughts continued to take a darker turn.

Sasuke had been a child at the time of the Massacre. He had no idea what was going on. He could restore the Clan and those in power would be happy to see a more "docile" version of the Uchiha Clan.

"They'll get the power and none of the baggage." He mutters in disgust.

"Hello, Sir. May I help you, with anything? I'm Sara. I'm the owner of this place." An elderly woman with long silver hair and sky blue eyes asks.

Utakata estimated that she was in her 60's or maybe 70's. It was a graceful old age though. She seemed to move around with ease and there was a certain lightness to her step. The woman was clearly content with her place in the world.

He couldn't help, but envy her for that. It was likely that the woman had a family and grandchildren to boot. That was in addition to her little shop. Judging by her silken white robes, her shop provided her with a good livelihood. She had everything that she needed as far as he could tell.

"Yes, I was hoping to buy some food, water, and basic medical supplies." He says as looks around the woman's shop.

"Oh yes. Of course. Well we have a bit of everything here. I'm Sara. I'm sure that you'll find what you need. If you need any help, let me know." She says as she sweeps the floor with an old broom.

Utakata nods and smiles. Sara was a sweet old lady. It was rare to meet someone without guile these days. He might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

"You're kidding me. You don't actually need that much water." A red headed girl exclaims in the shop.

"Hey! My Clan can't risk getting dehydrated!" Another shopper snaps at her.

Utakata watches in amusement. They had to be a couple. The two of them already bickered like an old married couple. He didn't see any rings on their hands, but he supposed that it was only a matter of time.

Maybe, Itachi was right. Maybe, he really was a romantic. In any case, it didn't matter. Utakata certainly wasn't about to admit that to his Raven.

"This place really does have everything." Another man observes with a serene smile as he walks around the shop.

Utakata could only assume that he was with the first two people. He was talking to them. Perhaps, they were friends or all on the same squad. They certainly didn't look like civilians to him.

The serene one was practically giant. Utakata was by no means short, but the other man would easily tower over him. Though he seemed to walk around in a rather gingerly way. It was likely that he was afraid of knocking the various wares over.

"Oh this is pretty!" The woman says happily as she examines a dress.

The tall one glances at what she had pulled out and nods his head in agreement. If his height didn't get your attention, his orange hair would have. He was certainly not the type of person who blended into a crowd.

"It is very nice and white is a good color on you." He offers.

"Ha! As if Karin would ever wear a dress! Face it. We got a job to do. It isn't one that you can get done wearing dresses, especially white ones." The violet eyed man states.

So the red head's name was Karin. Karin had glasses and wore a lavender jacket with the shortest pair of shorts that he had ever seen. She didn't seem like much of a fighter, but looks could be deceiving. For some reason, Utakata doubted she was a civilian.

"What'd you say?!" Karin demands as she clenches her fist menacingly.

"I said that there's no point in getting a dress. It's just going to get messed up and you look like a guy, anyway." He replies with a laugh.

"Suigetsu, must you always taunt her?" Their larger companion asks.

So the white haired one was named Suigetsu. Hmm. That name sounded vaguely familiar. Where had he heard it before?

"I'm not taunting her! I'm just telling the truth!" Suigetsu says as he tries desperately to defend his honor.

Utakata shakes his head in amusement and looks around the store. It wasn't that large. Though he suspected that it was large by this village's standards. The red carpet and floral paintings on the wall were a nice touch.

The shelves were stocked with everything you could think of. Food, farming tools, water, clothes, medical supplies, and a few trinket items. Trinket items like jewelry or stuffed animals mostly.

"You're such an idiot!" Karin snarls at him.

Utakata shakes his head and calmly proceeds to stuff some items into his basket. Well if nothing else, his shopping excursion was certainly an entertaining one today. Perhaps, he should pick up Itachi some sort of trinket as well.

"Suigetsu, Karin. Stop being annoying." A silky tone that sounded vaguely familiar instructs them.

The voice wasn't a whisper, but it was far from a yell. There was no mistaking the command in that tone though. This person had to be the ninja squad's leader.

Curious, Utakata looks up and blinks. The man had raven black hair and ivory colored skin. His clothing was fairly simple, but that sword on his hip was anything, but. Utakata couldn't help, but feel that he SHOULD recognize this ninja.

"She started it!" Suigetsu whines.

"No! He started it! You know what a barbarian, he is!" The bespectacled girl cries out desperately.

Half of their team was very dramatic, Utakata notes. He wondered how the gentle giant and the more somber leader ever managed to wrangle those two. Well, he suspected that he was about to find out.

"I don't care who started it. I'll finish it, if you both don't shut up. We're here to grab some food and then we're going. I've heard rumors that Kisame was spotted nearby. We don't want to lose the trail." The raven haired ninja says.

Kisame? The team of ninjas was after Kisame? Somehow, Utakata doubted that was a coincidence.

With that in mind, he makes sure not to show his face as he listens to the group talk. If they were after Kisame, they were also likely after Itachi as well. They could have the sword lover, but they couldn't have the Uchiha.

"Yeah. You're right. It's just that she's such a banshee. Can't we get rid of her? She's just slowing us down, anyway. It's not like she can fight." Suigetsu argues.

"Karin's useful. She might not be much of a combat ninja, but her healing and sensory abilities are second to none." The new ninja says.

Damn it. If she really was a Sensory Type, he was going to have to mask his chakra. The last thing that he needed was for the red head to pick up on the Six Tails. That would likely lead to his own death and Itachi's as well!

"I don't see why it's so difficult for the two of you to get along. You both have a lot in common." The giant suggests innocently.

"Because they're idiots, Jugo." The leader mutters as he rolls his eyes.

Well he knew three of their names now. Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu. The only one who was still a mystery was the leader. The leader who looked so familiar to him and yet, Utakata couldn't place him.

It was frustrating. He felt like he should know this person. Unfortunately, the Nomadic Ninja just couldn't place him.

"That was mean, Sasuke. I know that you're all grumpy because you wanna find your brother, but that was mean. You should learn to be nicer to people. Those girls that are always giggling around you, aren't going to like you for very long. I mean, once you open your mouth." The violet eyed ninja warns him.

Sasuke?! It couldn't be. Could this really be Itachi's baby brother? It was all starting to fall into place.

They were looking for Kisame. Kisame was Itachi's partner and the man looked familiar. Now, Utakata knew why. He was the other Uchiha's younger brother. This was Sasuke Uchiha.

"Do I look like I care?" The younger Uchiha asks.

It seemed that Sasuke didn't care what women thought of him. Perhaps, he simply preferred men. That or more likely, the ninja was more focused on killing Itachi.

Utakata couldn't blame him. It wasn't as if the other man knew the truth. He didn't know what had really happened that night. He wasn't sure how, but Utakata knew that he had to tell him the truth.

"Quiet! You're the one that needs to work on being less annoying. Not Sasuke." Karin snaps at Suigetsu.

If the Criminal Ninja realized the truth, there was as chance that he might not want to kill Itachi. His ire could be directed at those who deserved it. The ones who had ordered a thirteen year old boy to commit genocide against his own family.

Of course, Utakata realized that the vast majority of Leaf Villagers had no idea what really happened that night. They should be spared. Pitied even, but those who were in charge of the Leaf deserved to suffer in his mind.

"Whatever. We got the stuff. Let's just go." Sasuke says as he heads over to Sara and pays for their purchases.

If he told Sasuke the truth though, there was know way of knowing what the end result would be. Most likely, the Uchiha wouldn't believe him. That's even assuming that Sasuke let him explain.

He couldn't lead him back to Itachi. Not yet. The criminal would kill his brother on sight, especially in Itachi's weakened state.

"I'll have to be smart about this." He whispers to himself.

"I'm really sorry about all the noise." Sasuke mutters an apology of sorts as he pays the woman for the goods.

"Oh. It's quite alright. I do enjoy a lively shop. Please come again, sometime." The elderly woman replies brightly.

It must be nice to be a civilian and not have to make these kinds of decisions. Really, it was highly unlikely that Sara ever had to make a decision that could end up costing someone their life. For a moment, Utakata envied her.

He knew that was petty emotion. It certainly wasn't her fault that she had been blessed with a simple life and he had not. Still he knew what he had to do now and it was all thanks indirectly to Sara.

"Thanks." Sasuke says and the other members of his team, mutter something similar as they all walk out.

Utakata pauses for a moment and then quickly pays the woman for his purchases. Once he felt that they were far enough away for him to get away with it, Utakata makes a clone and sends it after them. The clone could report back to him while he tended to Itachi.

"Well it's been a very productive day." He says as he teleports back to the older Uchiha Brother.

"You're back early." Itachi says pleasantly, upon noticing that Utakata had returned.

The Nomadic Ninja wasn't sure how to respond to that. Should he tell Itachi or should he keep it a secret? The other man had a right to know what had happened, but Itachi might go after Sasuke.

There was a very good chance that he would die before he even found his brother. The Uchiha seemed to be stabilizing more, but he was in no condition for traveling and they both knew that. That didn't meant that Itachi wouldn't try though.

"Yes, I saw some interesting people at the shop." He says with a resigned sigh.

Itachi would likely know something was amiss, if he didn't say anything. Honestly might be the best policy when it came to the other man. That and Utakata just couldn't bring himself to do it.

He couldn't bring himself to lie to the beautiful man who was currently sharing a cabin with him. That thought did disturb him, but there was nothing that the Nomadic Ninja could do about it. It was just a fact. All he could do now was accept it.

"Interesting people? Did you run into Kisame?" Itachi asks, genuinely curious.

"Not exactly, but I ran into people who were looking for him." Utakata says with a heavy sigh.

He might as well get this over with. As much as he might want to pretend otherwise, Itachi wasn't his. The younger ninja knew that he was going to die soon and was likely just making the most of the time that he had left.

Utakata was probably nothing more than a hopefully pleasant distraction from the Uchiha's impending demise. Itachi wasn't going to suddenly find the will to live, just because they had exchanged a few heated kisses. It was time for him to face the reality of the situation.

"Probably trackers or ANBU. Perhaps, I'll try to send him a message somehow. He is my partner. That does mean something. I can't just leave him unprepared for whatever might be heading towards him." Itachi replies thoughtfully.

He was likely going to die before the year was out and Itachi was thinking about his partner. He was a martyr. That was apparently who he was at his core.

"Not ANBU or Trackers. One of them went by Sasuke. He looked like you and was talking about Kisame. I have reason to believe that he is your Sasuke. Your brother." He elaborates.

Itachi's eyes widen in recognition. The man looked rather panicked and Utakata knew why. Itachi knew that in this condition, he'd never make it to Sasuke. He'd never be able to track him.

"I sent a clone to watch him and his team. So I will know their whereabouts. I do believe that Sasuke is entitled to know the truth though. Neither of you deserve this." He states firmly.

"Thank you. I would say that I'm forever in your debt, but forever isn't particularly long in my circumstance. While I most certainly do appreciate your help, I've made my decision. I've made my peace with it." The raven haired man informs him.

"You made your decision, but Sasuke hasn't. He doesn't know the truth. It's not right to take that away from him. He might still decide to kill you, but I believe he should be able to make an informed choice. Don't you at least owe him that?" The Six Tails whispers.

For a moment, Itachi pauses. He was seriously thinking about it. Maybe, his words would actually reach the other man. Maybe, he could find a way to save him.

"You do make a compelling argument, but lets say that I do it. Lets say that I tell him the truth. What do you think will happen after that in the ideal scenario?" Itachi inquires softly.

"I don't know, but I know that it's better than having that kid live a lie. Think about it. You still have time. It's not too late to change your mind." Utakata pleads with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It will be told from Itachi's perspective.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm going to have the crows able to relay information to Itachi in a manner similar to a clone. That may or may not be cannon, but I believe that it works well for plot purposes.

Chapter 4

 _He didn't know why he was doing it._ Itach didn't know why he was staying with Utakata and why he was engaging in some sort of strange flirtation with the other man. He was going to die soon.

If Utakata truly came to care for him, Itachi would just be leaving the man alone. It would have been kinder just to accept whatever care the other man was willing to provide for him and to leave. There was no need to make the amber eyed ninja cry over him.

"I know that your heart is in the right place. You've shown me more mercy and kindness than I have any right to, but you're wrong about this. Sasuke would never understand. How could he?" Itachi asks in a voice barely above a whisper.

He couldn't give Utakata what he was fairly certain the other man wanted. A companion. Someone to stay by his side during his travels. Someone to warm his bed. To celebrate the good times with and to lean on during the bad ones.

Itachi could give him the truth though. If nothing else, he could give him that. It was painful, but the Uchiha owed him that much.

"I can understand why you couldn't tell him what really happened back then. He was only a child. It would have been cruel to explain what his beloved Clan was really planning to do and that his own village had ordered their deaths. He's no longer a child though. Sasuke is a man. There is a chance that he could understand." Utakata insists.

"He's intelligent enough to grasp why it had to be done. Logically, I'm sure that Sasuke could understand the reasons why our Clan had to die. There's just one problem though." Itachi replies with a wistful smile.

God help him, he was actually in danger of falling in love again. He really should know better. It was one thing to care for Izumi. That was before Itachi had known what was going to happen, but this was something else all together.

Itachi knew what was going to happen. He knew how this tale was going to end. The Uchiha was going to die and Utakata would be left alone to pick up the pieces of his broken heart.

"And what's that problem? You just said yourself that he is capable of understanding what happened now." The Nomadic Ninja reminds him.

It hadn't been like that with Izumi. He could be forgiven for his youthful ignorance and naivety. If Itachi had known what was going to happen, he never would have grown close to Izumi. He never would have forged that bond. This was different though.

"Sasuke is ruled more by his heart than his head. It's both his most endearing and frustrating trait, really. Intellectually, he's quite capable of understanding all this. I won't lie though. He'll likely lash out. If I tell him the truth, he'll lash out." Itachi answers.

That was perhaps his worst fear. Sasuke might forgive him and turn his fury onto the Leaf. After all, it would be tremendously difficult to let a decade worth of hatred and fear go. That energy would likely have to go somewhere.

Most likely, it would be directed at the Leaf. If that was the case, Itachi shuddered to think about what might follow. Sasuke may or may not have the power to destroy it on his own or with the help of his team, but he was still capable of inflicting tremendous damage on the village.

"Are you afraid that he'll lash out at you? You've already decided that he's going to kill you, anyway." Utakata inquires in confusion.

"No. I'm afraid that he'll attack the Leaf. He'll try to destroy it. If he's successful, everything that I did will be in vain and he will be known as a butcher. If he isn't successful, he'll be killed either during the fighting or executed later on." The raven haired man whispers.

It was a realistic fear. Itachi didn't mind going to his own death. Not really. While he had good reasons for doing everything that he did, the truth of the matter was that he simply did deserve to die.

That wasn't the case for Sasuke though. He had been an innocent bystander in all this. He would never have become a Criminal Ninja, if Itachi hadn't killed their family.

"Do you really believe that your secrets will die with you? The truth has a way of getting out, Itachi. As you said, Sasuke is smart. He may not have put together all the pieces as easily as I have done, but that's only because he's been blinded by his heart. Once his rage cools, who knows what he might figure out." The amber eyed youth prods him gently.

Itachi's eyes narrow. Utakata might not be coming out and directly saying it, but he knew where this was heading. The other man wanted to tell Sasuke the truth and he wasn't going to give up until Itachi agreed.

"I suppose that's possible, but it seems highly unlikely. I have to give him this chance. A chance at a normal life. Once I'm gone, he can start over. It will be a new chapter in the history of our Clan." He whispers.

"A history that is written after a history of lies. Is that any way to rebuild a Clan? Do you really want it to be rebuilt on ignorance?" He demands.

It wasn't about what he wanted. It was about what was right. Though it was sweet that Utakata thought there might be another outcome. A sweet, but misguided notion.

One that he was going to break the other ninja of quickly. Sadly, Itachi knew that he'd never be able to defeat Utakata in a fight. Well at least not in this condition. There was very little to stop the Six Tails from running off to find Sasuke and telling him the truth.

"I believe safety is more important. A clean slate will protect them." He retorts.

That thought was unthinkable. As much as he wanted to stay with Utakata, he knew the reality of the situation. There would be no more bubbles soon.

It was a pity, really. His crows were getting rather attached to them. He couldn't help, but smile at the memory of that particular incident.

 _He had bored one day, when Utakata was out patrolling their surroundings. Itachi was still a Criminal Ninja and there were still many people after him, after all. It only made sense that they should keep their guard up. Still that hadn't changed the fact that Itachi Uchiha was bored._

 _So he Summoned a few of his crows for company. The crows were always entertaining, but on that day they proved to be even more so than usual. The birds were apparently, rather fascinated by the bubbles._

 _"Well that's something that I never thought I'd see." Itachi chuckled to himself._

 _Crows chasing bubbles. It was quite the comical sight to witness. They would fly off after them and try to pop them. One of them had even found a spare pipe of Utakata's and was attempting to blow some of his own._

 _"I didn't realize that you had pets." Utakata observed, a few minutes later when he walked back into the cabin._

 _"I don't. These are my Summons. I have a Summoning Contract with crows." The Uchiha explained to him._

 _Itachi couldn't blame Utakata for having trouble taking the birds seriously at the moment though. Not when they were chasing bubbles. They hardly looked very intimidating or majestic._

 _"Funny birds, they are. Well I suppose that I should say funny Summons. How are you feeling?" Utakata asked as he offered some bread to Itachi._

 _That didn't last long though. The crows quickly stole the bread and flew off. Itachi could only shake his head in response._

 _"Amused at the moment. How about you?" The ninja inquired._

 _"I would say the same. Bubble chasing crows. Now, I've seen everything." The Nomadic Ninja replied as Itachi stroked the beautiful feathers on one of the crows._

"You're being naïve, if you really think that it will be that simple. As if the Ninja World has ever cared, if one didn't know the reason why they were about to be slaughtered." Utakata mutters.

There was more than a trace of bitterness in his voice. There was no denying it now. If the amber eyed ninja had made his choice. He was going to try to tell Sasuke what happened and Itachi couldn't allow that.

"That's true enough. Let's not discuss the matter further at the moment. My time is short and I would like to enjoy it with you." He says.

He knew that it was fighting dirty. Using Utakata's obvious attraction to him to distract the other man, but it had to be done. There was very little that Itachi Uchiha wasn't willing to do for his brother's sake.

That and it was no hardship. He hated to admit it, but he really was falling for the other ninja. Idly, Itachi thinks to himself that he had probably already passed the point of no return. A bond had been established and there was no going back now.

"It doesn't have to be short. You know that. You know that if you get treatment, you'll live. There's a chance that you can convince Sasuke of the truth. You can make him understand what really happened. We can control his temper, afterwards." Utakata says as he caresses Itachi's cheek.

Itachi could only smile in response. For a man who was normally such a pessimistic person, Utakata was apparently capable of great faith when he wanted to be. It made him feel oddly happy for a moment.

Only for a moment though. That's about how long it took for the reality of the situation to reassert itself. He simply had to ensure that Utakata wouldn't be able to tell Sasuke the truth.

"How about we compromise? I will simply think on the matter for now and we can discuss it in the morning?" Itachi pleads with him.

"Alright. That will be sufficient. My Clones are already tracking your brother. I shall keep you abreast of the situation. You should get some rest." The other ninja says as he kisses Itachi's forehead.

"Thank you." Itachi replies as he closes his eyes.

He wasn't actually going to go to sleep, but Utakata didn't need to know that. He had already sent out some of his crows. They would be able find Sasuke and watch the Clone very carefully.

If there was any sign that Utakata was going to tell Sasuke, well the crows would step in. Itachi had complete confidence that his crows would be able to stop him, if it came down to it. He just hoped that it wouldn't.

Meanwhile Taka was continuing on their travels. Unbeknownst to the Criminal Ninjas, they were being followed by Utakata and some crows. At the moment, Sasuke was looking at a map.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Suigetsu asks.

"Kisame was spotted nearby. If we can find him, we can find Itachi. We have the supplies that we need to successfully track him now." Sasuke replies as if it was obvious.

Well good, Itachi thinks to himself as the crows show him the images. His foolish little brother was currently in one piece and so was his team. They had also secured the necessary provisions.

The only bad news was they definitely knew about Kisame. That meant there was a chance that they could actually find him. Though perhaps that wasn't necessarily bad news when he pondered the matter more deeply.

"I'm sure we'll find him. The guy has blue skin. How hard can it be?" Karin asks.

It would be a good thing really. He was getting far too attached to Utakata and he was certain the reverse was true. The sooner that he died, the less devastated the other man would be.

That and his brother could finally move on with his life. Sasuke would return to the Leaf a hero. He would be able to find himself a nice wife. From there, it wouldn't be long until the other Uchiha had a real family again.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Kisame is an Akatsuki Member. If the Akatsuki couldn't stay hidden when they wanted to, they wouldn't have lasted very long as an organization." Jugo reasons.

"Hey! Who asked you?!" Karin demands and despite the situation, Itachi chuckles.

His brother had certainly chosen a rather lively team. Itachi didn't think that it would have been possible for Sasuke to have chosen a more unique set of comrades. If nothing else, his brother must never have been bored with them around.

"We're heading East." Sasuke says, clearly deciding to ignore his teammates for the moment.

Itachi couldn't be prouder. His little brother knew how to tune out the white noise and keep his eye on the prize. In this case, that was likely his head on a silver platter. Though he supposed it was the principle of the thing, really.

"Whatever. Let's get going." Sugietsu says as the team continues on their trek.

It didn't take very long for the red haired girl to stop and tense. Damn it. She must have been a Sensory Type. Was it possible that she had sensed his crows or even Utakata's Clone?

"Guys wait. We aren't alone." Karin warns them.

Damn it. Itachi curses under his breath, but that's when he saw a flash of gold out of the corner of the crow's eye. It hadn't been Utakata or his crows that they sensed, but someone else.

Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto and his team more specifically. The pink haired girl and Yamato were also with him. There was a boy who looked like a far too skinny version of his younger brother amongst them as well. He must have been Sasuke's replacement.

"You're good. Look, we don't want to fight you guys. We just want to take Sasuke back where he belongs!" Naruto says.

Itachi chuckles as he sees his brother roll his eyes. Clearly, this was at least somewhat of a common occurrence. His baby brother looked so annoyed.

"I told you that I'm going to kill Itachi. I'm not coming back to the Leaf until then. After I kill him, I might. It depends on whether or not, I get the whim to do so." Sasuke warns Naruto with no small amount of ice in his voice.

It hurt him to realize it, but Itachi knew that he was the cause for Sasuke's coldness. If it wasn't for him, the other man would never have left the Leaf Village. He would likely still be Naruto's friend and none of this would be happening.

Despite all that, Itachi knew that he had done the right thing. That didn't meant that he liked it though. He would have given anything, to find a way to spare them all this pain.

"You bastard! Don't you dare pretend that we don't mean anything to you! If you really didn't care, you would have killed me last time!" The blonde thunders at him.

Well that was interesting. Was it possible that Naruto might actually have feelings for his brother that went beyond the bond of friendship? Did the Nine Tails actually love his brother?

He certainly was acting like it. The blonde sounded so impassioned. He was acting like a rather loud Utakata. It was an interesting possibility and one that he would contemplate more later.

"I spared your life on a whim. It won't happen again, if you don't leave." Sasuke warns the other man as he gestures towards his new team.

Itachi mentally groans. This was so frustrating. The one real bond that Sasuke had made outside of his family and he was repeatedly trying to shatter it.

"Oh really?! We'll see about that! RASENGAN!" Naruto says as he charges up an attack that Itachi recognized as being one that Jirayia had favored. (Well Jirayia and the Fourth Hokage).

It was fitting in a way. It was fitting that Naruto would be using his father's attack. There was something rather poetic about that, but still he needed to help his brother.

Before the crows could move to assist Sasuke, Utakata's Clone bursts onto the scene and grabs Sasuke. He grabs Sasuke and Flickers off. Itachi's Raven and the Uchiha could only watch in horror as he does so.

"Damn it! Who was that?!" Naruto demands.

"I'm not sure. I thought he was with you." Suigetsu says suspiciously.

"I failed at protecting him. I was supposed to be his Shield." Jugo says mournfully and Suigetsu just rolls his eyes in response.

Well it seemed that the large one was protective of Sasuke. Good. His baby brother would need all the help that he could get, if he was to move on with his life after Itachi's death. Friends would be good for Sasuke.

"Protecting him?! We're supposed to be protecting him from you!" Naruto snaps at Jugo.

"It's rather obvious that Sasuke doesn't want to go with you. If you're really his friend, you should learn to respect his wishes." The gentle giant says.

Itachi couldn't exactly disagree with that logic. In a way, Jugo was certain right. Though friends told friends when they were making a mistake as well. Thanks to him, Sasuke had made a lot of said mistakes.

Naruto was just trying to reach out to his brother before it was too late. Before it was too late to turn back and seek any sort of forgiveness. Unfortunately, Itachi was becoming more and more concerned that Sasuke might have already reached that point.

"I have to figure out where Utakata took him." Itachi whispers to himself.

"Itachi, really? I thought that we were beyond spying on each other." He hears someone say and with that, Itachi slowly opens his eyes.

Wonderful. Utakata knew that he had been spying with his crows. That or he had figured it out when he had foolishly talked to himself.

"Our relationship is a new one. I am not in the habit of trusting anyone for obvious reasons. If you want to prove that I can trust you though, now would be an excellent time to start." Itachi says.

He knew that he was being rather outrageous here. Utakata certainly owed him nothing. If anything, Itachi owed him!

The other man had saved his life. He had nursed him back to a more stable condition and had even bought extra supplies for him. Now, Itachi was lecturing him about trust. It sounded ridiculous even to his own ears.

"And how would you like me to earn your trust?" He asks.

"By either telling me where Sasuke is or at least assuring me that you won't tell him about that night." Itachi whispers.

He had no right to demand anything of the other man. That wasn't going to stop him though. Itachi had to protect Sasuke.

He had made a promise to his parents and it was one that he was going to keep. Before he killed them, Mikoto Uchiha had asked him to look after Sasuke. That was exactly what he was going to do.

"I won't tell you where he is. You'd just rush off to your death. Call me selfish, but I don't want you to die. As for telling him, that should be something he hears from you. I won't tell him. At least not today. Will that satisfy you?" The amber eyed man asks.

It wasn't entirely satisfying. Itachi knew that it was more than he had a right to ask for though. For now, he'd just have to live with Utakata's answer. It wasn't as if he really had any control of the situation at the moment.

There were several reasons why that was the case. The elder Uchiha Brother was deadly sick. That and he didn't know where Utakata had taken Sasuke. Assuming he could even find them, it might already be too late. For now, he would just have to take the Nomad Ninja at his word.

"It will, for now." Itachi murmurs softly.

He didn't like that fact. At the moment, he was completely helpless and at the mercy of whatever whims might strike the other man. True, Utakata did seem to genuinely care for him. Though that did little to quell the unsettled feeling that was growing inside him.

"Good. I'm glad. I still think that you owe it to him. You owe it to him and yourself to let him know the truth." He says as he caresses Itachi's cheek.

Itachi sighs and leans into the gentle touch. He really shouldn't indulge in actions such as this, but he couldn't help it. His time was running out. He might as well enjoy what little comforts were being offered to him.

"He does deserve to know the truth, but the people of the Leaf deserve to continue to live their lives. They might not get that opportunity, if the former happens." The Uchiha reminds him.

"I think that you don't give him enough credit. Perhaps he's changed since you last spoke to him directly. People do mature. Maybe, he's no longer ruled by his emotions as intensely as before." Utakata offers.

Itachi could only snort in amusement in response. The other man really didn't know Sauske. That and he really didn't know Uchihas.

Uchihas were always ruled by their emotions. Whether they were active volcanoes like Sasuke or dormant ones like himself. His Clan was one that felt things intensely and it had been that way for as long as he could remember.

"I find that highly doubtful. You've never really met my brother. You'll see what I mean soon enough. In the meantime, I would highly recommend that you quickly leave him alone. He is going to want answers." Itachi warns him.

It was just the way they were. After all, the Sharingan was triggered by emotions. Powerful ones. So it was only natural that their default state would be more intense than many others.

"I imagine so. You should be the one to give them to him." Utakata insists.

"And now that you have saved my brother, the Leaf will start asking questions about you." The Uchiha continues, ignoring that last part.

Utakata shrugs and Itachi sighs. It was apparent that Utakata didn't particularly care if the Leaf was interested in him. He was the Six Tail's Host. That meant that the Leaf and every other ninja village was already interested in him. To him, there wasn't much to be concerned about.

"I'll take my chances. Itachi, I meant what I said. I won't tell him anything. Not this time, but you really need to think about what you want to do about this situation. I don't think it's right that you should have to die for the sins of your village and that Sasuke should have live a life of ignorance." He continues.

"They do say ignorance is bliss though." Itachi retorts and the Nomadic Ninja chuckles in response.

It was as if he found Itachi's answer to be cute. That he was humoring the other man in some way. The Uchiha didn't really know what to say. What more could possibly be said about this horrifically complicated situation?

"Yes, they do. Do you trust the Leaf though? What's to stop them from ordering another Massacre?" He asks.

"Don't speak about such things. It would never happen again. Once Sasuke has killed me, he can restore our Clan. He'll be far too busy with his children to think about planning a second Coup." The other ninja growls out.

"That may very well turn out to be the case, but I never said that it was going to be Sasuke. What about one of his children or grandchildren? How can you ever really be sure that the Uchiha Clan will be safe in the Leaf? They ordered a genocide once. What's to stop them from doing it again?" Utakata asks.

Itachi frowns at that question. Sadly, he didn't have a good answer to it and he couldn't lie. That thought terrified him.


	5. Chapter 5

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5

Utakata knew that he was overstepping his grounds in a very extreme way, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't going to let the Leaf take Sasuke. Not before the other man understood what was really going on.

Well that had been his plan. That was until Itachi had essentially pleaded with him not to. One look at those sad eyes and the Nomadic Ninja had caved. He'd just have to compromise.

"Who the Hell are you?!" Sasuke hisses at him.

That was only to be expected. After all, Utakata was a stranger who had just grabbed the young Uchiha off of the battlefield. It was only natural that he would be suspicious. He would be a fool, if he wasn't.

"My name isn't important at the moment." He says softly.

Utakata allows himself a moment to briefly take stock of the younger Uchiha. There were similarities, if one looked closely. Mostly physical ones.

Itachi was a man who had had the fire beaten out of him. The elder Uchiha Brother reminded him of an ocean in many ways. He was deep and calm on the surface. Underneath though, there was far more going on than anyone could ever truly hope to know.

"If you don't want to give a name, that's fine. You're still going to tell me why you dragged me away from them." Sasuke snarls at him.

The ocean could be beautiful, but also very dangerous. There were schools of fish and gorgeous coral reefs. There were also sharks and tsunamis. It could be just as dangerous as it was beautiful and in that way, Utakata considered it a very apt metaphor.

"I grabbed you because I didn't want you to go back to the Leaf. Not yet." He answers honestly.

Sasuke was in many ways, the complete opposite of his brother. The man reminded Utakata of a volcano. An active volcano at that.

He was an explosion of fury and raw emotion. Terrifying and yet, he was also beautiful. Utakata wasn't sure if the entire Uchiha Clan was just fortunate looking or if Itachi and Sasuke had just won the genetic lottery, but there was really no denying their physical appeal.

"And why do you care? I've never seen you before in my life. You don't have a Leaf Headband. So I know that isn't the reason. Are you a Sound Ninja?" He demands.

Sasuke was just too young for his tastes though. If you played with fire, you would get burned. He much preferred the soothing waters of the ocean in this case.

"You're right. We've never officially met and I'm not from the Leaf. I'm not from the Sound either. I've been a Nomadic Ninja for years." The Six Tails answers him.

He wasn't really sure how to deal with Sasuke at the moment. One thing was for sure though. What worked on Itachi, probably wouldn't work on Sasuke. They were just too different when it came to their temperament.

"If that's true, then what do you want? I hope for your sake that you aren't a bounty hunter." Sasuke says as his eyes flash ruby red.

The Sharingan. He hadn't really seen Itachi use his much. He was simply too sick, but Utakata could certainly appreciate sensual appeal of it. There was something almost demonic about it, but at the same time absurdly alluring.

Hopefully, Itachi would live long enough to activate his own again. That he'd become healthy enough, that he wouldn't have to worry about whether such an action would kill him. With that thought in mind, Utakata's resolve strengthens.

"I'm no bounty hunter. I'm just a man who thinks that you deserve to know the truth. Almost everyone that you ever cared about has been lying to you. Whether that was to protect you or themselves, doesn't change that fact." He dares himself to say.

Utakata could see Sasuke's eyes narrow. The other man clearly wasn't certain what reaction he should have to such an assessment. Though it was obvious that the younger Uchiha was growing more and more irritated.

"You seem to know a lot about me. I find that curious as I've never met you before. That can only mean one thing. You were sent after me. Who sent you and what do you really want?" The raven haired ninja demands.

There was a certain absolute authority in his voice. The Criminal Ninja was bound and determined to get his answers. Not that Utakata could blame him. He was sure that his cryptic style of speaking was only further serving to infuriate Sasuke and making him more curious by the minute.

"I want for justice to be served. As much justice as is possible in such a horrible situation. If you want to know the truth, you'll have to reign in your temper. Your fury is completely justifiable, but it will not help the situation." The amber eyed man continues.

"You better start answering my questions or I will slit your throat. You speak to me as if you know me. You don't. You don't even have the courage to give me your name when you clearly know mine." Sasuke says as he unsheathes his sword.

Itachi was right. Sasuke was obviously ruled by his emotions. Though it was understandable in this case.

Utakata probably would have had a similar reaction. He couldn't afford to do so though. He needed to find a way to make Sasuke understand and keep his promise to Itachi.

"My name is Utakata. I know your brother and the truth behind the Massacre. Things are far more complicated than they appear on the surface. If you want answers, you'll have to get them from him." He replies.

That did it. Sasuke lunges at him with terrifying speed and stabs his sword through the Clone's shoulder. Had the clone really been him, he would have been pinned to a nearby tree and completely helpless.

Thankfully, it was just a clone and the clone turned to water. That's when everything went black for Utakata. Damn it. How could he have let this happen?!

"I told you that he's completely ruled by his emotions. I do not know why you refused to believe me." The elder Uchiha Brother gently chides him.

"Yes, you did warn me. It's okay. I know where he is. I can be there soon enough." The Six Tails reasons.

"You promised me that you wouldn't tell him today. I need to know, if you kept that promise or not." Itachi demands.

Well the family resemblance was a little stronger now. There was something very aristocratic about the brothers. They both clearly expected their orders to be followed without question.

"I kept that promise, but I'm not going to do it Itachi. I'm not going to watch you slip away and die without a fight and I'm most certainly, not going to watch Sasuke kill you. He doesn't know what really happened that night. Once he knows, that could change everything." The Nomadic Ninja thunders at him.

"We need to leave quickly. My brother will find this place and I'm in no condition to confront him like this." Itachi says.

Utakata sighs. He wanted to confront Sasuke. The other Uchiha would find them and he could protect Itachi. He could explain things to him. That's what he wanted to say.

The look in the Leaf Ninja's eyes told him that he wouldn't listen though. For now, he would get Itachi to safety. He would get Itachi to safety and get him treatment. He needed to be well to face all of this.

"Alright. We'll go, but you can't run from the truth forever. One way or another, Sasuke's going to find out. Wouldn't you rather that happen while you're alive than afterwards?" Utakata asks gently as he gathers their supplies and puts them in a backpack.

"He's not going to find out. Not if you don't tell him. You were just a stranger to him. Why should he put much stock in what you said?" Itachi retorts.

That was a good point. He really was just a stranger to Sasuke. Still that didn't change the fact that the Seed of Doubt had been planted.

It wouldn't take much for it to bloom. At least, that was Utakata's hope. He couldn't bare to sit around and wait for Itachi to die. Either from his own illness or his baby brother's hand.

"That's true." He says, a few minutes later.

He had finished packing. They would have to go. While Sasuke might have been a volcano, he was a volcano with a high I.Q. He'd find them. Utakata was certain that Itachi was right about that much.

"I'm glad that you've finally seen reason. I wish that things were different. I truly do. More than you will ever know." Itachi whispers.

"I know." Utakata says sadly as he performs a Genjutsu to alter their appearance.

He now had long black hair that reached to the middle of his back and icy blue eyes. His robes were made of fine red silk. For Itachi, he had given the man short dark purple hair and emerald green eyes. His robes were made of fine blue silk. Now, they would look like a pair of wealthy traveling merchants.

"Did you at least make me look handsome?" Itachi asks in amusement as he scooped up by his almost lover.

"Of course. Though I can never surpass the original. I'm not that artistically gifted. I don't suspect that anyone is." He says as he carries the ill man off in his arms.

Itachi smiles and rests his head against Utakata's chest as the two of them leave. He didn't really know where they were going, but Utakata was happy that the other man was currently relaxing against him in such a fashion. It meant that the Uchiha trusted him.

"You're going to be the death of me. You do realize that, right?" Utakata whispers to him.

"I know. I don't want to be. You'd be smart just to leave me somewhere." Itachi whispers softly.

He wasn't entirely certain if the other man was begging him to leave him or not to. Itachi's voice came out as a plea for both in the end. Either way, Utakata was not going to leave him behind.

"I know. That would be the smart option. I suppose your brother's foolishness must have rubbed of on me because I'm not feeling particularly intelligent today." The Nomadic Ninja says as he flits off quickly.

A day and a half later, the pair come across another village. This one was larger than the one that Utakata had gotten supplies from. Far larger.

"I can see a hospital in the distance." He whispers to Itachi.

"I'm not going to any hospital. We need to put as much distance between us and Sasuke as possible. We simply do not have the time to stop." The Uchiha in his arms retorts.

Utakata knew why Itachi was concerned. This time though, he was going to put his foot down. Itachi needed real treatment. Those pills would only go so far and deep down, he suspected that his beloved knew that.

"Seeing as you're too weak to walk, I'd say that this decision is out of your hands. Well I suppose that in the interest to accuracy, I should say that it's out of your feet." He teases him lightly as he carries Itachi inside the hospital.

It was a civilian village. Utakata doubted that many ninjas came through and if they did, they certainly weren't going to be part of the medical staff. That meant that this was a safe place for Itachi to get better.

Now, he just had to make the Uchiha accept that fact. Unfortunately, Itachi was very stubborn. That meant that such a feat was easier said than done. That wasn't going to stop him though.

"I promise that you'll regret this. If I recover, I will trap you inside my Genjutsu. I control space and time in there. It's a world entirely of my own creation. I can make you see, taste, hear, touch, and feel anything that I want. Remember that." He warns him.

"That sounds like it could have potentially erotic applications and I look forward to exploring them with you. Now, be a good Itachi and let the nice doctors examine you." Utakata says brightly.

Itachi mutters some rather unflattering things under his breath that made the Nomadic Ninja chuckle. Itachi might be greatly ill, but he was still tremendously creative. Hopefully, he would get better and that creativity would be applied to more pleasurable pursuits than just insulting him.

"Hello. What seems to be the problem?" A nurse inquires.

"My friend has a severe illness. He needs treatment immediately." Utakata says.

The nurse was a woman who was likely in her late thirties. She had long chestnut brown hair and cinnamon brown eyes. She was quite pretty in a subtle way, but quite frankly Utakata preferred men.

That and no one would ever fully be able to compete with Itachi in his mind when it came to physical beauty. That and intelligence. Itachi was definitely intelligent. Perhaps, he was too intelligent for his own good really.

"Alright. Let's get him to the exam room and I'll have a doctor have a look at him. I'm Nurse Hirama by the way." She tells him with a reassuring smile.

Well he supposed it was supposed to be a reassuring smile. Utakata suspected that the woman used it on the majority of the patients and hospital visitors who were dealing with a serious illness or a precious person who was suffering from one.

It was likely an effective technique. Well most of the time. It didn't do anything for his nerves though. He knew that itachi needed treatment and he needed it immediately. Smiles weren't going to change that.

"Thank you." Itachi tells her.

Once again, the man was the picture of serenity. Utakata had no idea how his beloved did it. He was so close to death's door and yet, he appeared almost completely unaffected by that fact.

Surely, he had to be in extreme pain. Itachi never showed it though. He just endured quietly. Utakata doubted that very many people had that kind of strength (or stubbornness).

"Alright. Can you lay him on the exam table and I'll go get a doctor?" Hirama asks.

"Yes, I can do that." Utakata states as he gently lays Itachi on the table.

"Wonderful. I'll be back in a few minutes." The nurse says as she darts off to find a doctor.

Utakata sighs once they were alone. Itachi was staring at him with those accusing eyes. He knew that recently he had crossed several boundaries, but he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty about it.

He was trying to save the other man's life. Itachi had to know that. Why did he insist on being so damn stubborn?

"Itachi, don't look at me that way." The amber eyed man warns him.

Was it just a Leaf Villager thing? Perhaps, it was an Uchiha thing. Sasuke also struck him as being rather stubborn. Then again, it might just be part of what made Itachi…well Itachi.

"And what way do you believe that I am looking at you?" He inquires sweetly.

It was a little too sweet for his liking. Something was most certainly up. God only knows what that beautiful man over there was planning. He might be pondering fifty ways to kill him or fifty ways to bring him to the edge of ecstasy, only to deny him in the end.

With Itachi, it was hard to tell. His face betrayed nothing of what he felt in the moment, other than his annoyance. Itachi was very, very annoyed with him.

"I'm not entirely certain. I know that you are angry with me for taking you here, but you could be plotting my demise or to spend several delightful evenings with me thoroughly exploring the various usages that one can get out of chakra cuffs." He replies cheerfully.

Itachi actually rolls his eyes in response. Utakata wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. He supposed that it was good in the sense Itachi must be feeling somewhat better to express the emotions of exasperation and annoy instead of pain.

"I'm considering a combination of both, actually. The two are not necessarily exclusive." Itachi informs him with a straight face.

Utakata suddenly finds himself smiling in response. Despite the situation, Itachi had kept his dry sense of humor. That was another good sign. There was a chance that he still might beat this.

He might beat his illness. They could talk with Sasuke. It didn't seem likely, but there was a chance that the younger Uchiha could be made to see reason. After that, they could officially start their lives together.

"And please do not look at me with those hopeful eyes. You want more than I can give you. It's not that I wouldn't like to give you the things that you see, it's that I'm unable to." Itachi whispers.

Damn Itachi. He was practically a mind reader. That could be both a useful and an annoying skill to have in your romantic partner. Right now, it was most assuredly the latter.

"I'm allowed to have hope until you stop breathing." Utakata reminds him.

Itachi sighs in response and the Nomadic Ninja feels his heart sink. Itachi still didn't really believe that he could do this. That he could beat his illness and find a way to tell Sasuke the truth without it triggering death and destruction.

"I wish that you didn't. It's only going to make it hurt more when I'm gone." Itachi says softly.

Utakata was about to issue a retort when the nurse walks in with someone. He could only assume this man was a doctor. After all, Hirama had said she was going to fetch one.

"I'm Dr. Yaka. I'll just start off with a preliminary examination. As you seem to be not in immediately danger of death, I'm going to assume that this is a long-term illness that kills slowly. Am I correct?" He asks.

Dr. Yaka was a tall man with broad shoulders. His hair was short and red like blood. His eyes were a steely gray color, but the man wasn't unfriendly. He was brisk, but kind enough. Well at least that was Utakata's first impression.

"Yes, that's correct." Itachi confirms.

Good. At least Itachi was going to be cooperative. That was something of a relief. Utakata had half expected the man to refuse any treatment outright.

"Have you been seeing a physician for this ailment and have you been diagnosed?" Dr. Yaka asks.

"Not regularly. I have been taking medication. It is diagnosed. I'm told that it is treatable, but that would take a great deal of time and my occupation isn't one that is kind to those who stop working suddenly. I'm a merchant." Itachi lies seamlessly.

It was incredible. Itachi was able to lie with such ease. Utakata would have believed the other man about being a merchant, if he didn't know the truth.

"Well I can certainly sympathize with such a struggle, but better an a living beggar than a dead wealthy man." The doctor teases him as he begins examining Itachi.

"I have to agree with Dr. Yaka. You've gambled too long with your health. Fortunately, this is one of the best hospitals around. It may not be too late to save your life." The nurse says.

Thank goodness. There was still hope. There was still hope that Itachi might pull through his illness.

They would still have to deal with Sasuke, of course. Unfortunately, their meeting didn't go as well as he had hoped. It was nothing that couldn't be fixed though. As long as Itachi lived, there everything could be mended.

"Thank you, Doctor." Itachi says with a smile.

"I'm afraid that your friend will have to sit in the waiting room. It's not very hygienic to have an extra person in the room during such treatments and could cause the doctor to become distracted." The nurse points out gently.

"Very well. Please take good care of him. I don't want to lose my dearest friend." Utakata half pleads and half orders them.

He knew that doing so was highly irrational. Medical staff would naturally try to save their patients. Still he couldn't help, but make the plea. It was Itachi.

"Of course. Come with me." Hirama says as she leads Utakata off.

He wanted to stay in that room. Utakata wanted to stay in that room more than anything at the moment, but he knew that he couldn't. The Nomadic Ninja knew that the doctor was just operating under standard medical protocol.

Dr. Yaka wasn't doing anything, that any other doctor wouldn't have done. It wasn't his fault. He would just have to endure the separation. He could only pray that Itachi wouldn't be gone from him for long.

"There are some books and newspapers that you can read, while you wait." The nurse offers.

"Thank you. I do appreciate that." Utakata replies with a smile.

He didn't know how. Utakata supposed that he was on autopilot. There was no need to take out his frustration on the innocent nurse.

It wasn't Hirama's fault that Itachi was sick. Certainly, it wasn't the brunette's fault that the man had waited this long to get treatment. It wouldn't be right to turn his fury on her just because she happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

"You're welcome. I will let you know, if anything changes. Your friend is in good hands though. Dr. Yaka is one of the best. He's something of a legend in the medical field." She tells him with a proud smile.

Utakata briefly considers the possibility that the nurse might be in love with the doctor. After doing so, he decides that he didn't particularly care. It was none of his business and if love blossomed between two people he barely knew, well that was nice. It didn't directly impact him or the Uchiha though.

"Thank you. That means a great deal to me. More than you'll ever know, actually. Please, go back and help the doctor." He begs her.

"Of course. Please do try to keep your chin up. I know that it is easier said than done, but worrying yourself sick won't make him get better faster." The nurse says as she darts back towards the room where Itachi was presumably being prepped for an operation of some sort.

"He'll pull through." He mutters to himself as he picks up a book.

It was some sort of romantic novel. Normally, Utakata wouldn't touch the genre. Today was different though.

Just for a few hours, he wanted to believe in happy endings. The Six Tails desperately wanted to believe in them. If a book helped him do that, well he'd read the book.

"Besides, it's not as though there's anything else that I can do. I have no talent for healing." Utakata whispers to himself as he opens the book and glances at the first page.

It was only the beginning, but he could already tell what kind of book he was going to be reading. A typical romance novel. It was utterly cliché and mindless. Well at least that was his opinion.

"Which makes it exactly the sort of distraction that I need at the moment." He murmurs as his golden eyes carefully scan the pages.

He could only hope that Itachi would pull through. That somehow they could fix all this and that the book would provide him with a few hours respite from his worries. Such occurrences, would truly be a happy ending to the Nomadic Ninja who had fallen in love with a beautiful martyr.


	6. Chapter 6

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This chapter will be split into two parts. Utakata's perspective and Itachi's side of things. Also feel free to weigh in on whose perspective Chapter 7 should be written in.

Chapter 6

Two days later, Utakata was growing more and more anxious. The initial operation was over and Itachi was in recovery, but it was becoming readily apparent that the other man was likely going to become a long-term patient. Which in turn, meant that Utakata was one nervous wreck.

"I'm sorry, but you're friend needs a lot of help. It's nothing short of a miracle that he's even still alive." The Nurse says to him.

He had just finished asking about Itachi's progress only a moment before. Sadly, the Nomadic Ninja was far from surprised by her answers. It was maddening, but it was also the truth.

"I know. Is he awake now? Is he coherent?" He inquires softly.

Like it or not, losing his temper at the pretty nurse wasn't going to help Itachi. If he looked like he was close to losing it, Hitmara certainly wasn't going to let him visit the sickly man and that just wouldn't do.

"He's awake and coherent, but he's weak." The nurse warns Utakata.

He was weak. Well that was only to be expected. Itachi had just undergone a major operation and if what the nurse had told him was accurate, the Uchiha was lucky to be alive. Thank goodness that they had gotten to the hospital in time.

"I understand. Please, may I see him?" Utakata asks.

He sounded desperate, even to this own ears. That couldn't be helped though. The truth of the matter was that he was desperate. The Nomadic Ninja was desperate to see Itachi.

He had to see with his own eyes that his beloved was alright. There was no other way for him to reclaim his peace of mind. Surely, there had to be a way to make the nurse understand that.

"Of course. Though I'm not really sure how long he'll feel up to visiting you. If he's says that he's tired, please respect his wishes. Your friend has certainly been through the ringer." Hirama replies.

Utakata nods in understanding. He could agree to those terms. Well actually, the Six Tails would have agreed to almost anything to see Itachi again. He just had to make sure that the other man was going to be alright. He couldn't lose him.

"I promise. Believe me, the last thing that I want is to make him over exert himself." The amber eyed ninja assures her as the follows the nurse off to see Itachi.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." She whispers as they enter the room.

Immediately, Utakata stares at Itachi rather intensely to assess his appearance. If something had gone wrong during the surgery, he wanted to know about it. He wanted to know what was wrong and to fix whatever complications might have arisen during his surgery.

To his relief, Itachi looked fine. Well he looked exhausted, but that was to be expected. At the very least, he wasn't coughing up blood anymore. Utakata decides to take that as a good sign.

"How are you feeling?" Utakata whispers softly as he sits in the chair next to his beloved's bed.

"Tired, but better. There isn't as much pain in my lungs at the moment." Itachi answers.

The Six Tails finds himself smiling at that news. Good. That was good. That was very good. Maybe, there was a chance that Itachi could beat this illness. They might actually have their happy ending, after all.

"Good. I'm glad." The Nomadic Ninja says with complete sincerity.

What was this magic that Itachi had cast over him? Utakata still didn't understand he had latched onto Itachi so quickly. It wasn't like him to develop bonds so recklessly, but the Uchiha was different somehow.

It was like a magnetic force that held him completely captive. Utakata doubted that he could free himself, even if he tried. Truly, it alarmed him how strong his bond with Itachi was. The more bonds you had and the stronger they were, the more painful it would be when they were finally severed and yet, he couldn't bring himself to abandon Itachi.

"Well you're friend is quite the fighter. He's responded well to the first treatment. I'm not going to lie though. This isn't going to be something that he's going to recover form overnight. Ideally, he would have several months of daily treatment here and after his release, he'd have to be closely monitored." Dr. Yaka informs him.

Life without Itachi was becoming an unthinkable possibility. How had he allowed this to happen? How had he given his heart away so quickly and so foolishly?

"Thank you, Dr. Yaka. We understand. Would you mind giving us some privacy?" Itachi inquires.

Itachi had been brought back from the brink. The man had almost died and despite that, he was still completely polite. Utakata didn't think that he'd be able to face his own demise with such dignity.

Though he supposed that Itachi had had time to get used to the idea. Most likely, the Akatsuki had been sick for several years. How he had managed to hide his illness from the rest of the world for so long and so well was a mystery, but the Uchiha had.

"Of course. Nurse Hirama, would you mind coming with me to check on Mr. Nami in the next room?" The doctor asks.

"Alright, Doctor." She says and with that, the pair quickly head off.

Utakata smiles and takes Itachi's hand. Thank goodness. They were finally alone and didn't have to worry about the doctor and nurse overhear them discussing anything important.

"The disguise must have held up well." He comments.

"Yes, it did. You did a fine Jutsu. I must commend you for your skill. They carved me up in a manner resembling the way that one might carve up a turkey and it didn't give way. That is impressive work." Itachi says with a sly smile.

The Six Tails couldn't say that he particularly cared for the casual way that Itachi was discussing his surgery. The man had just been in a fight for his life and was joking about turkeys? Unbelievable!

"Thank you. This isn't the time for jokes though. Itachi, you could have died." Utakata whispers.

He didn't know why he was whispering. They were the only two people in the room and the door was locked. It wasn't as though someone else was going to overhear them, but Utakata felt like saying the words too loudly would somehow jinx the man that he loved.

Utakata knew on some level that such thoughts were ridiculous. Whether or not he whispered or shouted the words, wouldn't matter. Not really. What mattered is that Itachi was finally getting the proper treatment that he needed and he was going to continue to do so.

"I know. I've been planning to die for a long time. It was kind of the doctors to stabilize me. Though lately, I must admit that my thoughts have taken on a rather selfish turn." The smoky eyed ninja admits with a sigh.

"A selfish turn in what way?" Utakata dares himself to ask.

This could either end very well or very badly. The Nomadic Ninja wasn't entirely sure which way it was going to be, but he knew that he had to know. He had to know what the other man was thinking.

"I'd like nothing more than to live. To find a way to live and be with you. Sasuke needs closure and he can't have that while I'm alive. Not to mention, the Leaf would never allow me to live in peace." He mutters.

"Good. Continue those selfish thoughts. I like it when you're selfish. I like it very much, actually." Utakata murmurs as he leans over and captures Itachi's lips with his own.

He smiles when he feels Itachi kiss back. That was a good sign. Itachi's resolve was weakening. Well at least a little bit. It was a start.

"I know that you do, but you really shouldn't encourage me. I believe you when you say that you didn't tell Sasuke the truth yet. Are you planning on doing so though? I need to know." The other man pleads with him.

What could he possibly say to that? Utakata believed that Sasuke deserved to know the truth and Itachi didn't deserve to be made into a martyr for the Leaf Village. This situation was ridiculous.

He honestly couldn't understand why Itachi would go along with it. He could understand why his beloved had initially. It was to prevent a Great Ninja War. That was a noble goal. Utakata couldn't understand why the handsome man was continuing to go along with the charade now though.

"I want to tell him the truth. Itachi, it's your place to tell him. Not mine. If it comes down to your life or your being angry with me, I'd rather have you be angry with me. I won't do it while you're still struggling to recover. I'm not that cruel. I could never be that cruel to you." He promises him.

"That is a relief. Unfortunately, I can foresee this being an issue in the future. Not to mention, I'm not entirely comfortable with staying here for months. My brother may be foolish, but he's also intelligent. There's a chance that he could find us." Itach points out.

Utakata couldn't disagree with that. Sasuke might be a hothead, but he had given him a few leads. It wasn't much to go on, but Orochimaru had chosen the younger ninja to be his vessel for a reason.

His Sharingan was obviously a large part of why the snake had taken an interest in him, but Utakata knew there was more. Orochimaru's arrogance knew no bounds and that was why the Six Tails knew without a doubt that the Sannin would only select the best Vessel that he could get. Obviously, intelligence was factor that the power-hungry ninja would consider in his decision.

"There's a very good chance that he could find us. Do you think that he would destroy a hospital and potentially murder hundreds of innocent people to get to you?" Utakata asks.

The fact that Itachi frowns and pauses in response, concerned him. That certainly wasn't a very reassuring answer. To say the least, that was extremely troubling.

"I don't know. I told him to nurse his hatred and he's certainly done that. He was willing to abandon the Leaf Village to get revenge. I don't know, if he's capable of such savagery or not. I do hope that isn't the case. If it is, I want you to run." Itachi whispers.

Utakata smiles. Itachi might still be determined to play the role of a martyr, but it was obvious that the other man cared for him. He cared enough for him to warn him to run. That was something, right?

"I don't think that he's capable of it. He wants you dead, but I don't think that he'd rack up a body count to get to you. At least not one of this magnitude, especially not civilians. I saw his eyes. He was determined and he reviles you, but he's no Orochimaru." The amber eyed man assures Itachi.

"I really hope so." Itachi mutters uncertainly.

A few weeks passed Itachi was resting after another of his many treatments. The actual surgery was over, but the treatment was intense. He wasn't entirely certain that he would have been able to endure the process without Utakata by his side.

Utakata the man who apparently loved him more than he loved himself. If that Nomadic Ninja was smart, he would have run in the other direction screaming by now. He knew that Sasuke was after him and he was aware what the younger Uchiha was capable of, but he never wavered.

"You know, I must have imagined at least a thousand different ways to kill you since that day. This wasn't one of them. You didn't even have the decency to give me an honorable fight. You had to go and get sick. Is this your final way of mocking me?" He hears a familiar voice hiss at him.

Itachi would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Sasuke. Sasuke had found him.

"I don't doubt that for a second. Believe me, it was not my intention to get sick. That's why I have been getting treatment. I suppose that matters little now though. You're going to kill me, anyway. We'll never really know who is stronger, but you will have avenged our Clan." The other Uchiha says softly.

He wasn't going to open his eyes. Itachi didn't want his last memory of Sasuke to be one of hatred. He didn't want to see seething rage that would undoubtedly be filling those ruby red orbs of his.

"You don't even have the decency to look at me in the eye when you're talking to me or are you afraid that I'll use Tsukuyomi on you? Don't worry about that. It's not one of my abilities and I wouldn't use such a cowardly technique anyway." The younger Uchiha seethes at him.

It was all that Itacih could do not to flinch. The coldness in his voice was worse than frostbite could ever hope to be. Was this really his foolish little brother? The boy who used to follow him everywhere and look up at him with complete adoration as he asked for piggyback rides?

Itachi knew that it was Sasuke. A new Sasuke. The Sasuke that he himself had helped to create, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had taken a good person and morphed them into something else entirely.

"It's not the Tsukyomi that I fear. Go ahead and kill me. I know that you want to. After all, I was the one who killed mother and father. You've spent years training for this moment. You even betrayed the Leaf Village just to kill me. Don't tell me that you gave all that up for nothing. How pathetic you are." He murmurs.

"I'm not going to kill you. Not like this. I'm not you. I don't kill in cold blood." He snarls at him.

At that moment, Itachi feels another chakra signature nearby. One that he now recognized like the back of his head. Utakata.

"Don't even think about touching him. At the very least, you're going to hear the truth. I'm not going to release you, until you do." Utakata says as he captures Sasuke in one of his bubbles.

Upon hearing that, Itachi opens his eyes. It looked like his death might not be as imminent as he had previously thought. Leave it to Utakata to surprise him.

"Stay out of this! You have no right to interfere!" Sasuke snarls at the other ninja as he tries to get out of the bubble.

"Sasuke, you're not getting out of that bubble. Believe me, I have tried. That's how Utakata captured me originally. It's a very long story." Itachi says with a sigh.

His second greatest nightmare was coming to life right before his eyes. Itachi's worst fear had always been that his family would die because of the Coup. That had come to pass. Now, it looked like his second nightmare was about to come true and there was little that he could do to stop it.

He had always worried that one day, Sasuke would discover the truth. That one day, his foolish little brother would realize what really happened on that night. That he would understand the events that had lead to their family's demise.

"Normally, you would be right. I'm not really part of your Clan's sad tale. Well other than the fact that you're trying to kill the man I love." The amber eyed ninja snaps at him.

"You LOVE him?! You love a man who murdered hundreds of his own kin?! Well in that case, you can both die together. I wonder if Hell has a Honeymoon Suite?!" Sasuke snarls, his Sharingan flashing menacingly.

"I must say that you are taking the fact that I am in a romantic relationship with another man surprisingly well." Itachi comments.

He didn't know what else to say. At the moment, humor was his only coping mechanism. That and it served as a valuable distraction.

Itachi Uchiha needed time. He needed time to come up with a plan. Unfortunately, he doubted that he had much time left and his mind just wasn't producing a brilliant plan to get out of this disastrous situation fast enough.

"I don't care who you choose to share your bed with. I care about the fact that you murdered our parents in THEIR bed! Do you think that this is amusing?! You filthy traitor!" Sasuke hisses at him.

Well technically, he had murdered his parents on their bedroom floor. Not in their bed. Though that was a distinction without a difference and one that Itachi doubted that Sasuke would care about.

"I don't find any of this amusing. Utakata, release him. Sasuke is right. I love you, but you have no right to interfere in this matter. If my foolish little brother wishes to kill me, he's entitled to indulge in that whim." The smoky eyed ninja says.

"I'm not going to kill you now. It'd be meaningless. I want you to suffer. You're already half dead as is. What's wrong with you? Did your treacherous black heart finally stop working? A guilty conscience from all the blood on your hands?! The blood of our Clan?!" Sasuke demands.

"Itachi, your brother is quite the dramatic one. I must say that he missed his calling. He should have been an actor." Utakata comments with feigned cheerfulness.

Itachi snorts in amusement. He wasn't sure how Utakata managed it. How had the man managed to make him laugh at a time like this?

"Yes, Sasuke. Utakata is correct. You would have made a fine actor, especially with a face like yours. You do so take after mother. She was a beautiful woman." Itachi says.

"You should know! You're the one that killed her!" Sasuke growls at him.

Itachi winces. That remark had struck his heart particularly deeply. Killing their mother and father had been two of the hardest murders that he had to commit that night. While he and Fugaku had a rocky relationship at best, Itachi had always been close to his mother.

Mikoto Uchiha's death had devastated him. Sadly, Itachi hadn't had much of a childhood to speak of. He had been promoted too fast for that. So he never had the opportunity to get as close to her as Sasuke had, but still. It had left a mark.

"He killed her, but not because he wanted to!" The amber eyed ninja snarls back at Sasuke.

"Wait. What?! What did you just say to me?!" The younger ninja demands.

Damn it. It was too late to turn back now. Sasuke wasn't going to rest until he got some kind of answer from Utakata or himself to that question!

As Itachi was debating the implications of this, he hears the fire alarm go off. Panic. There was panic everywhere. Itachi doubted that was a coincidence. Sasuke had planned this!

"Hey! Sorry, that we're late!" Itachi hears someone say from behind a door as a sword slices through it, only minutes later.

Ah. So that's what his foolish little brother had been up to. He had one of his companions pull the fire alarm to ensure that everyone evacuated. Well at least those that could be evacuated. Itachi knew there were some patients who couldn't be moved for fear that they would die.

"Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo…don't attack yet. This bastard has something important to tell me!" Sasuke orders them.

Itachi was idly impressed. Obviously, Sasuke was the leader of his little group. That was good. His foolish little brother had always struck as more of a follower than a leader in most cases.

He was so eager to please and he'd never thought of him as particularly ambitious. Well other than trying to kill him. Though he supposed that Sasuke would have eventually taken his position as the Heir to their Clan.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" Karin demands, obviously confused by the situation.

Sasuke likely would have become the Heir, if their Clan had lived. Mostly because Itachi didn't want to be the Heir and his brother had always sought their father's approval. Taking Itachi's place after he stepped down, would have been one surefire way to do that.

His brother had always been proud to be an Uchiha. Before the Massacre, the boy simply hadn't known everything that entailed. He would have gladly taken Itachi's slot and Itachi would have happily given it to him. Unfortunately, Fate had other plates for them.

"I don't know yet. That's what I'm going to find out." Sasuke tells her.

"How are you going to find out when you're trapped inside a freaking bubble?! Seriously, it's a bubble! What the Hell?! That is such a chick attack. Sasuke, you really should be embarrassed about getting caught inside a bubble!" Suigetsu says.

Sasuke twitches and Itachi chuckles in amusement. Well his foolish little brother had certainly chosen a lively bunch to comprise his team. He had to give him that much.

"Suigetsu, that is NOT the point!" Sasuke hisses.

"I also take great offense to that. Bubbles do not have a feminine connotation." Utakata says as he twitches.

"A feminine what?!" The white haired man asks in confusion and Sasuke just smacks his forehead in frustration.

Alright. So the sword lover needed to work on his vocabulary a bit. Obviously, he had other talents. Judging by those teeth, he had to be Suigetsu. Kisame often referred to him as a Prodigy in the Art of Murder.

Strangely enough, he usually did so in a fond voice. Itachi did find it interesting to note that his partner appeared to have something of a soft spot for the man who wanted to kill him and take his sword away from him. Still it was really none of his business and Itachi had pawned it off to an interesting footnote. Well until now.

"Nevermind! Tell me what you meant by that! What did you mean when you said that Itachi didn't want to kill her?!" Sasuke hisses.

"Sasuke, let the dead rest in peace. There is no need to bring up all this unpleasantness. Kill me, if you desire and continue on with your life. Once you take my body back to the Leaf, they will forgive you for deserting them. After all, you killed Orochimaru and myself. They'll think you're a hero." Itachi whispers softly.

Sasuke's eyes narrow in response and Itachi knew at that moment that he had made a grave error. He had implied that he cared what the village thought of Sasuke. That's not something that someone who had supposedly committed genocide willingly, would say and Sasuke knew that.

"No. You're going to tell me what happened or I'll have Jugo and Suigetsu kill your lover. Watch out for his damn bubbles." Sasuke warns his teammates.

Interesting. The girl clearly wasn't a Combat Ninja then. Otherwise, Sasuke would have told her to fight. Hmm. She must serve some other purpose in the group.

"There's no need for that. Obviously, you pulled the fire alarm to minimize casualties. I know that you want to kill Itachi, but you aren't willing to kill innocent people for no reason. That means that you'll listen to what I have to say. What Itachi should have told you a long time ago." Utakata says.

"And what should he have told me?" Sasuke warily asks.

"That Itachi didn't kill your Clan of his own violation. The Leaf ordered him to do it." He whispers.


	7. Chapter 7

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. It will be told from Sasuke's perspective.

 **Chapter Notation:** The flashback is a from an earlier scene in the story, but will be told from Sasuke's perspective to help with character development.

Chapter 7

Sasuke's eyes narrow as he watches Utakata like a hawk. This was the moment that he had been waiting for. Ever since the strange ninja had grabbed him, the youngest Uchiha had been waiting for an explanation.

The real explanation. Not the vague one that the older man had given him before. The one that had set him on edge for weeks.

 _"And why do you care? I've never seen you before in my life. You don't have a Leaf Headband. So I know that isn't the reason. Are you a Sound Ninja?" He demanded._

 _Sasuke wasn't sure what was going on. Why would a stranger care so much about him? How did Utakata know so much about his relationship with Itachi?_

 _"You're right. We've never officially met and I'm not from the Leaf. I'm not from the Sound either. I've been a Nomadic Ninja for years." The Six Tails answered him._

 _He seemed to know far more about the situation than what the Bingo Book would have listed. That and the other man was too emotionally invested. Something strange was going on._

 _"If that's true, then what do you want? I hope for your sake that you aren't a bounty hunter." Sasuke snarled as his Sharingan activated._

 _"I'm no bounty hunter. I'm just a man who thinks that you deserve to know the truth. Almost everyone that you ever cared about has been lying to you. Whether that was to protect you or themselves, doesn't change that fact." The man replied._

 _Sasuke grew more and more irritated. This guy was being far too cryptic for his liking and in his experience, cryptic was usually a bad thing. A very bad thing._

 _"You seem to know a lot about me. I find that curious as I've never met you before. That can only mean one thing. You were sent after me. Who sent you and what do you really want?" The ninja hissed at him, demanding answers._

 _The stranger didn't flinch though. Begrudgingly, Sasuke had to admit that was impressive. Most people would have been cowering by now, but this man hadn't._

 _"I want for justice to be served. As much justice as is possible in such a horrible situation. If you want to know the truth, you'll have to reign in your temper. Your fury is completely justifiable, but it will not help the situation." The amber eyed man continued._

 _"You better start answering my questions or I will slit your throat. You speak to me as if you know me. You don't. You don't even have the courage to give me your name when you clearly know mine." Sasuke said as he unsheathed his sword._

 _"My name is Utakata. I know your brother and the truth behind the Massacre. Things are far more complicated than they appear on the surface. If you want answers, you'll have to get them from him." He told him._

 _That did it! Sasuke lunged at him with terrifying speed and stabbed his sword through the Clone's shoulder. Had the clone really been him, he would have been pinned to a nearby tree and completely helpless._

 _Utakata turned to water and that's when Sasuke realized the truth. That hadn't been the real nomad. That had been a clone. A water clone!_

It had taken far longer than he would have liked, but Taka had finally found him. Mostly thanks to Jugo's birds. Sasuke would have Summoned Garuda and Aoda to help with the task, but they were simply too large.

People would notice if there was a snake the size of a two story building slithering around. The same was true for Garuda. He was too big for stealth.

"What do you mean by that?! What are you saying?! You're saying that the Leaf ordered a genocide?!" Sasuke roars at Utakata.

It didn't make any sense. Why would the Leaf do that? Why would they order the destruction of one of their strongest bloodlines, if not the strongest?

The Uchihas occupied an important role in the village. They ran the Military Police Force. It was their job to keep order amongst all the Leaf's Ninjas and civilians. So why would the village weaken itself to that extent?

"I had hoped that this day would never come. It seems that I owe you, yet another apology Sasuke. The first of many, of course. You deserve so much more than mere words can ever give you though. They feel so hollow. After everything that I'd done to you and our family, I do not expect your forgiveness. Nor do I deserve it." Itachi whispers softly.

"Wait. So what are you saying? You didn't off them for kicks? The Leaf had you do it? That's really messed up. Geez. I though that our village was bad." Suigetsu says.

Sasuke twitches. He didn't know what to think. Well other than the fact that Suigetsu needed to shut up and quickly.

"Suigetsu, if you don't shut up, I'm going to tear out your vocal chords and make you. Don't think that this damn bubble will stop me." The raven haired ninja warns him.

For once, the violet eyed ninja did the smart thing. He shut up. That was a very wise move on his part because Sasuke was confident that he would have found a way to carry out his threat, if Suigetus hadn't. Bubbles be damned!

"Suigetsu!" Karin calls out warningly.

"What?! Everyone was thinking it! I'm being quiet now! Sheesh!" Suigetsu says as he puts his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. He had chosen his team for their skills, not necessarily their personalities. Karin was intelligent, but she was obsessed with him. Jugo was powerful and loyal, but prone to unpredictable rages. And then there was Suigetsu.

Suigetsu had a useful bloodline and was better with a sword than almost anyone. Unfortunately, he could be extremely unpredictable. That and his loyalty was sometimes questionable. (So he claimed anyway; the Uchiha doubted that Suigetsu was ever actually going to abandon Taka).

"You both have a point." Jugo says.

Sasuke takes a moment to contemplate how odd it was that Jugo was the voice of reason. The one who could fly into a violent rage at any moment was the only thing keeping his team from erupting into complete and utter chaos. That was ironic.

He chooses to ignore that for the moment though. Sasuke had more important things to focus on. Like the truth. One way or another, he was going to find out the truth and he was going to find it out now!

"Itachi, tell me what really happened that night! Did the Leaf truly order you to butcher our Clan?!" He demands.

The young ninja couldn't believe his ears. There was a certain sincerity in both Itachi's and Utakata's voice though. Sincerity that seemed difficult, if not impossible to fake.

Could it really be true? Had the Leaf told Itachi to do it, but why? Why would his village order such a thing?

"Yes, they ordered it. I took no pleasure in killing our kin, Sasuke. I never wanted things to end that way. I did everything that I could to stop it, but it wasn't enough and for that I'm sorry." The elder Uchiha replies as a silent tear streams down his face.

Itachi was crying?! Heartless killers didn't cry. Then again, it was possible that his brother was just an extremely skilled actor.

Sasuke wanted to believe that. If what Itachi and his lover was saying was true though, he had once served the very same village that had committed genocide against his Clan. The very thought made him feel sick.

"You're sorry?! You're sorry?! Sorry, won't bring them back. You had better tell me the truth though! You owe me that much! No more lies!" Sasuke snarls at him.

The Uchiha could scarcely recognize his own voice at the moment. Truly, he sounded more like a rabid animal than a man. He didn't care though. Sasuke had to know. He had to know what really happened that night!

"You're right. It won't bring them back, but I hope that knowing the truth will provide you with some measure of closure. Things weren't as they seemed. Our Clan was given our own District and control over the Military Police Force so that we could be more easily watched and to prevent us from achieving political power." Itachi murmurs.

Sasuke could understand the first part. Putting them all in one place would make it much easier to monitor them, but he didn't know why. Why were they being watched so closely in the first place?

"And why did the Leaf not want us to achieve political power? What were they so afraid of? What could possibly justify a genocide against their own people?!" Sasuke thunders at him.

"I'm not entirely certain. They were afraid of our power because they didn't understand it, I suppose. Fear can make even good people do horrible things sometimes, Sasuke. There is more to the story though. Do you wish to hear the rest?" Itachi asks.

His tone. The tone that Itachi asked that question in was driving Sasuke to the brink of insanity. It sounded so guilty. So broken. It didn't fit with the image that he had of the other man in his head.

This man wasn't Itachi. He wasn't the cold-blooded monster who had slaughtered their Clan for no reason. This was a man who just wanted it all to end. A man weighed down by what seemed to be a mountain of guilt.

"Continue. You're either the best actor in the world or the Leaf lied to me. I can't decide which would be the worse outcome." He mutters in disgust.

His brother had either been ordered to kill their family or he was lying to him. Lying to him to buy time, most likely. If it was the latter though, Itachi didn't actually think that he was going to escape. Did he?

He was in no condition to run and they both knew it. His best hope of survival lay with Flickering off with Utakata. Though for some reason, it didn't look like Itachi was planning on doing that anytime soon.

"Our Clan grew resentful of the isolation and more villagers began to fear us. We were part of the village and yet, not. Such a situation was bound to reach a breaking point sooner or later. In light of that, our Clan planned a Coup against the Leaf." The other ninja continues.

"Wait! What?!" Karin asks in shock.

Sasuke was only a moment or two from having the same reaction. A Coup against the Leaf? As powerful as their Clan had been, that was suicidal. At best, they would lose dozens or even hundreds of Clan Members and the village would be left in tatters.

"Yes, a Coup. When the Leaf discovered this, they had to act. I was given a choice, our family or the village. I knew what would happen. If our family lost the war, they'd all be put to death. If they won, the Leaf would be weak and other villages would take advantage of it. Another Great Ninja War would begin." The smoky eyed ninja whispers.

Sasuke blinks as he begins to process that. If what Itachi was saying was true, he had taken hundreds of lives to spare tens of thousands. In the grand scheme of things, Itachi wouldn't be the villain in that scenario. He was the hero or at the very least, the martyr.

"So you're saying that you killed our family to potentially prevent another Great Ninja War. If that's true, why am I still alive?" Sasuke growls at him.

"You were too young to be a threat. That and the Leaf likely wanted to keep the Sharingan. Keeping you alive was one way to do that and to ensure that Itachi would actually go through with it." Utakata says.

"That's so messed up!" Suigetsu mutters in disgust.

For once, Sasuke was inclined to agree with Suigetsu. As much as he wanted to deny it, the logic sounded well sound. He needed proof though.

"You're sick. Seriously, sick. If you try to leave this hospital, it's likely that you'll die. You know that, right?" The raven haired ninja asks.

"Yes, Sasuke. I'm fully aware of my medical condition." Itachi replies dryly.

Was Itachi seriously mocking him at a time like this?! The man had to be out of his mind. That was the only logical explanation.

"I'm going to prove this once in for all. I'm going to talk to Danzo about this. I know that he'll know. He's the one who really runs the show. Always lurking about in corners." Sasuke hisses.

Those who really wielded power usually weren't loud about it. Sasuke knew enough about Danzo to realize he wanted to be Hokage more than anything, but it didn't really matter at the end of the day. Hokages came and went, but that man was always on the Council.

The Council was where the real decisions were made. Sure, the Hokage held sway and conducted the day-to-day matters of running the village, but Sasuke knew the truth. It was the Council who really ran the show.

"That's quite perceptive of you. You figured out that the current Hokage would know nothing about the Massacre. So you decided to interrogate an institution. I'm telling you the truth, Sasuke. You don't need to risk your life to confirm it." His brother says.

"Why should I believe you now? You were either lying about why you killed them back then or you're lying now to save yourself. Either way, you're not an honest person. Your intentions might have been noble, but you have been lying to me for most of my life." Sasuke hisses at him.

His head was spinning. Sasuke wasn't sure what he wanted. If Itachi had done it to prevent a war, he might get his brother back. He'd potentially get his brother back at the cost of his village.

One thing was for damn sure. He would _**never**_ serve the Leaf again, if they had ordered his family to be killed. Killed by his own brother. His brother who had only been thirteen at the time.

"That's true. I told you to nurse your hatred against me. I told you that for a good reason. I deserve it. My actions prevented a war, but they cost you everything. Everything, except for your own life. Please don't be so eager to throw that away so easily." Itachi pleads with him.

He sounded so concerned. Again, Sasuke wasn't sure what to believe. If this was all an elaborate ruse, it was a convincing one.

Not to mention, there was the matter of Utakata. Was it possible that Itachi had actually found love? Real love? Ruthless killers didn't love though.

"I'm not going to throw it away. You're going to be here when I get back or I will hunt you down and kill you. That's assuming you don't die of your illness before I find you." Sasuke informs him.

"Sasuke, you can't do this. Danzo is old, but he's powerful. He's not going to give you the truth without a fight. A fight that you will most likely lose or one that you will win only at great cost." Itachi whispers.

Great cost?! How dare Itachi speak to him that way?! He was the one who had taken everything from him!

If it was true though, why hadn't the Uchihas run? Why couldn't Itachi have warned them? They could have fled.

Almost as soon as the thought entered his mind, Sasuke dismisses it. Assuming that they even could flee in time, the Leaf would notice. Five hundred people couldn't stay hidden while they were running. They would have been tracked down with ease.

"It warms my heart to hear how much you **care** and how much **faith** you have in my abilities." Sasuke spits out at him.

"Utakata, do not release Sasuke from that bubble. My foolish little brother is apparently going to do what he does best. Be foolish." Itachi mutters.

"You have no right to keep me here! I deserve to know the truth with absolute certainty!" The younger Uchiha snarls at him.

He hated losing control like this, but he couldn't help it. Everything that Sasuke had thought he knew about his life was now in question. Was Naruto truly the only constant in his life?!

That idiot was loyal to the point absolute stupidity. It didn't matter how many times they nearly killed each other, he would always come chasing after Sasuke. It was as comforting as it was infuriating, really.

"Yes, you do." Itachi says sadly.

Was Itachi really that worried about him? Could this all be sincere? Sasuke didn't know and the uncertainty was going to drive him insane at this rate.

"Then tell your lover to let me go." He growls.

"Itachi, you know what this kid is going to do. He's going to rush off to the Leaf and pick a fight with Danzo. You said it yourself. Danzo is dangerous. He's not just going to willingly tell the truth to Sasuke without a fight." The amber eyed ninja argues.

Who the Hell was he?! His babysitter?! He was an S Class Criminal Ninja! Thank you, very much! He had defeated a Legendary Sannin all by himself.

Granted, Orochimaru had been sick. It still counted though. Sasuke doubted very many other people could accomplish that feat. He didn't particularly care for the insinuations that he was too weak to fight a prehistoric fossil!

"If you don't let him go, we'll do it for him. I doubt you can stop all of us at once." Suigetsu says.

Sasuke smiles. In his own demented way, Suigetsu did care about their team. That or at least about Karin.

Those two really needed to just stop dancing around each other. Sasuke was far from a romantic himself, but even he had noticed the signs. They fought too much for it to be anything other than passion. The two of them bickered like an old married couple!

"Let him go. You're all going with him though. If I went, Danzo would kill me immediately in this condition and Utakata would be too busy trying to save me to be of much assistance." Itachi asks for a sigh.

"How generous of you to allow me the freedom to make my own decisions." Sasuke seethes at him.

He didn't know what to think or what to feel. So Sasuke settled on anger. It was a familiar emotion. Comforting in an odd way.

There was no way of knowing, if Itachi had been forced into it or not. He was going to find out though. Preferably, without Naruto getting involved.

Itachi was right about one thing. Danzo was dangerous and knowing the idiot, he would charge right in. Likely without any sort of plan. It would be a very Naruto thing to do, he thinks to himself with a small smile.

"Yes, I suppose so. You have the freedom to make your own mistakes. I hope that the price of that freedom isn't your life though." Itachi says as Sasuke sees something glimmer on his cheek.

Was that a tear?! Was Itachi crying?! Had the other man really cried _twice_ on this day _?_!No! He must have imagined it. There was no way that Itachi Uchiha would do something as normal as crying.

That would be entirely too human. Whether his brother was an traitorous Clan Slayer or an unsung hero, he didn't cry. Never. This was Itachi!

"I hope so as well. When I get back, you had better be here. If you aren't, it won't end well for you." Sasuke warns him.

"Naturally. Utakata, would you please release him and let his friends leave without a fuss. They pulled the fire alarm, but I doubt that is going to buy them too long." Itachi reminds him.

Utakata sighs and Sasuke knew that the other man didn't want to release him. He didn't have a choice though. Obviously, the ninja was wrapped around his brother's finger.

Whatever the true nature of his feelings for Itachi were, it was apparent that Utakata would do whatever the Uchiha wanted. Sasuke wasn't really sure how he felt about that. A bit jealous and weirded out, he supposed.

"Come on! We're leaving!" Sasuke says and with that, he and Taka take off.

Things would be much easier, if Naruto would listen to him like that. Then again, if the blonde did that…he wouldn't be Naruto. Sasuke clears his head as if to dispel that thought.

He really shouldn't be thinking of his former teammate at a time like this. Sasuke needed to focus. He needed to focus and get some answers out of Danzo. One way or another, the truth about the Uchiha Massacre was going to be revealed and soon.

"So I guess we're heading to the Leaf." Suigetsu says.

"Yes, we are." Sasuke confirms as they race towards the village of his birth and childhood.

The village that his Clan had helped to found. The village that was the center stage of all his best and worst memories. Sasuke didn't know how to feel about that, really.

"Do you really think that Danzo will tell us the truth?" Karin asks.

Sasuke sighs as he glances at the red head. She was probably the most logical one on the team. Jugo was a bit naïve. Well he was a bit naïve when he was in his right mind, anyway.

Karin brought up a good point. What was to stop Danzo from lying? On second thought, he didn't need to worry about that.

"He'll tell us the truth or die screaming." Sasuke promises her.

That was one promise that he intended on delivering on. The elderly ninja was not going to slip through his fingers. The stakes were too high.

For most of his life, he'd had one goal. Kill Itachi. What if most of his life had been based on a lie?

"I'll be your Shield." Jugo assures him.

Sasuke finds himself smiling at that, despite the situation. He knew that the mostly gentle giant meant that. That was the good thing about Jugo. The man never lied.

Well at least he had never lied as far as Sasuke could tell and really, that was what was important. He had a good team. A psychotic team that he wanted to strangle half the time, but a good team nonetheless.

"I know." He whispers as they continue on their long trek towards the Leaf Village.

Would he also have a family though? If Itachi had been forced to carry out the Massacre, could he forgive him? The other man certainly had good reason for doing what he did, but he had still done it.

That didn't make their family any less dead. Sasuke could feel a headache feeling as he tries desperately to sort through all his feelings. It was an all out barrage though. He was losing that battle miserably.

"Yeah! Yeah! That's really sweet and everything, but we've got work to do. Let's go kick this old guy's ass!" The sword lover calls out cheerfully.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. That was Suigetsu with you. Well there was one thing for sure. There was never a dull moment when you were part of Taka.

Make that two things actually. They were also going to get answers out of Danzo. That old man wouldn't know what hit him.


	8. Chapter 8

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. It will be told from Itachi's Perspective.

 **Chapter Notation:** The portions of this chapter that take place in the hospital will be done in italics. Anything with Sasuke, Naruto, and Taka will be in regular font. **Oh and for those of you interested, for ran important update near the top and poll.**

Chapter 8

 _"That went better than expected." Utakata says with forced cheer as the two almost lovers watched Taka disappear._

 _Itachi sighs. He supposed that while the cheerful disposition might be forced, the words were accurate enough. The encounter had gone far better than he had any reasonable right expect. Well other than the part where his foolish little brother was going to charge back into the Leaf without any sort of plan._

 _That part, the Uchiha certainly could have lived without. What was Sasuke thinking? He was a Missing Ninja and traveling with Criminal Ninjas. He couldn't exactly waltz back into the Leaf and demand the answers that he was seeking._

 _"I suppose so. This is all your fault. I hope that you realize that." He mutters._

 _"I know and you must be furious with me. I'd rather have you furious at me and alive though. Better alive and angry than dead and happy. If there is a chance that you don't have to martyr yourself, I'm going to take it. Itachi, I'm going to take it. Be selfish for once. You've already given up so much for this world. Fight for your right to stay in it and to find your own happiness." He tells him._

 _Itachi smiles. Sasuke knew the truth now. Eventually, he'd find a way to confirm it. That didn't mean that he could necessarily achieve a sense of peace. Let alone happiness though._

 _While Sasuke was about to confirm the truth, the rest of the world wasn't. To the rest of the world, he was still a Clan Slayer. The amber eyed ninja was putting his life in danger every single second that he was with Itachi. He had to know that._

 _"I know. I can't begrudge you for wanting to hold onto what we have. Happiness is so fleeting in this world. It's only natural to cling to it, but I think that you're a practical enough man to realize the truth. Let's assume that Sasuke is willing to reconcile with me. The rest of the world won't. I'm putting both of you in great danger just by being here. You should have killed me when you had the chance." The elder Uchiha Brother whispers._

 _Itachi sees Utakata twitch. His would be lover was furious with him. As he should be really, the Akatsuki Member knew that all of this had to seem horribly unfair._

 _"You're lucky that you're sick. If you weren't, I would have had to knock some sense into you. I don't want you to ever speak of yourself that way again. Sasuke knows the truth now. You have a chance to start over. Take it. We can be happy together. Whether or not Sasuke forgives you, I doubt he's going to try to kill you now." Utakata says as he sighs and caresses the side of Itachi's face._

 _The other man smiles. Utakata's touch was gentle. It was quite the contradiction from what he knew the ninja was feeling. Underneath his calm façade, a storm was most assuredly brewing._

 _One with fierce winds and rains. A hurricane came to mind. Yes, Utakata was a hurricane when he was angry._

 _"I'll think about it. Most likely we have at least a few hours to ponder where Fate may lead us. For now though, I have a foolish little bother to watch over." He says as he summons a crow._

 _He could sort out what he wanted to do with Utakata and his life later. Right now, Sasuke needed him more. If nothing else, he was going to stop his foolish little brother from potentially getting himself killed. One way or another, he would ensure that Sasuke lived lone enough to make him an uncle. (It didn't matter that he probably wouldn't around long enough to meet his nieces and nephews; it was the principle of the thing)._

 _"That's clever. Sending a crow after him." The Six Tail says._

 _"Yes, I thought as well. Knowing Sasuke, he's bound to get into trouble. It's the only real way that I have to look after him. Well without being too obvious about it." He mutters._

The crow takes off and Itachi sees the world through its eyes. It was flying and trying to follow Team Taka. Sasuke was in such a hurry, that they weren't bothering to cover their tracks very well.

That was to be expected though. The man had just had his entire world turned upside down. No one would have reacted well to what Sasuke had just found out. Thankfully, his brother was a survivor.

"How long will it take for us to reach the Leaf?" Suigetsu asks.

"A few hours at this rate. We'll have to use disguises. I don't feel like fighting the entire village just to get to Danzo." The younger Uchiha mutters.

That was certainly valid reasoning on Sasuke's part, but Itachi doubted that was the only reason. He had seen the way that a certain blonde had looked at his brother. The way that Sasuke would look at him with guilt. It was the same way that he and Utakata looked at each other.

Whether or not, Sasuke wanted to admit it was irrelevant. Their bond had gone far beyond one of brotherhood. Though Itachi was uncertain, if either of them had realized this yet.

"That's a good point." Karin says as she performs a Genjutsu to look like Sakura.

Sasuke didn't want to run into Naruto because he didn't want the other man to get dragged into the fight. Knowing the Nine Tails, the Leaf Ninja would do exactly that. Sasuke's fights were apparently Naruto's fights as well. (No matter how much his brother wished that wasn't the case, it seemed).

"I know." Sasuke says as he transforms into Neji.

The rest of Taka was also using disguises. Jugo chose to transform into Choji. Suigetsu on the other hand, selects Kiba to be his disguise.

"That will work." Sasuke says and with that, Taka redoubles their efforts to get to the Leaf as soon as possible.

Itachi's crow continues following them for several hours. As it does so, the real Itachi sighs and looks at Utakata. Could he really have this? Could he really have a life with Sasuke and Utakata in it?

 _"I know what you're thinking and you can. You just have to decide that you want it badly enough." He murmurs as he caresses his cheek again._

 _Itachi smiles and leans into the touch. Utakata was so empathetic. It was almost like he could read his mind._

 _"You have no idea how badly, I wish I could believe that. Though it looks like the moment of truth has arrived. They made it to the Leaf Village." The Uchiha whispers._

Their disguises seem to be working. Sasuke, now Neji, leads the others to Danzo's house. Itachi winces as his brother knocks on the door and a guard answers it.

"We're here to see Lord Danzo. We're on orders from the Hokage and need to see him immediately. It's an emergency." Sasuke says.

Who knew that his foolish little brother was such a good actor? He had been joking when he said the other Uchiha should take up acting, now Itachi was reevaluating that. If he didn't know any better, Itachi would swear up and down that Sasuke was really Neji.

"Yes, of course. Come inside." The guard says.

This was all going just a little too easily. That made Itachi nervous and suspicious. Normally, ROOT Members didn't let anyone get near Danzo so quickly. Hokage's orders or not. Something was amiss.

The crow flies in, but makes sure not to be seen. While Sasuke might or might not make the connection between the crow and Itachi, Danzo certainly would. If that man saw the crow, it was all over.

"Thank you!" Karin says in Sakura's voice.

"Mhm. Lord Danzo, these ninjas are here to see you. They claim that they need to speak to you about an emergency on Lady Hokage's orders." The guard says.

"Ah I see. Please do send them in and shut the door on your way out." Danzo says as the crow flies in and does his best to remain hidden.

"Yes, Lord Danzo." Replies the member of ROOT as lets them in and then heads off.

Itachi watches warily. Danzo had agreed to the deal. He would likely try to kill Sasuke and his friends or take the truth to the grave. He wouldn't let that happen though.

Sasuke was right. He deserved to know to know the truth. He could see that now. It hadn't been fair to make his brother live a lie.

 _"The lie was beautiful in its simplicity though." He whispers back at the hospital._

 _"Yes, it was. You gave him a completely black and white world. One where you were the monster that he had to slay and now, Sasuke has to face the real world. One with an infinite sea of grays." Utakata whispers as he runs his fingers through Itachi's hair._

Itachi sighs and nods as he continues watching through the eyes of the crow. One way or another, he was certain that this would get resolved tonight. Danzo could die. Taka could die or the truth would come out.

"Those Transformation Jutsus aren't bad. Though I would be a pretty sorry excuse for an elite ninja, if I didn't see through them. So tell me, what on Earth would make you come back to the Leaf, Sasuke? You've been gone for years and now, you come back with a group of thugs?" Danzo asks.

"If what I've heard is accurate, you're the last person that should be passing judgment on anyone. I want to know the truth about my family's slaughter. Did the Hidden Leaf order my brother to destroy our Clan?!" Sasuke demands.

 _Itachi mentally groans back at the hospital. That was Sasuke for you. He was a brilliant strategist, until he got angry. When he got angry, he had absolutely no sense of self-control._

 _One of these days, he was really going to have to talk to his foolish little brother about that. It was going to get him killed. Itachi just prayed that Sasuke would live long enough to benefit from his lessons._

"You're certainly not one to beat around the bush, are you? I doubt what you had in mind was a friendly chat. You brought three friends with you. If you thought we were going to have a civilized discussion, you wouldn't have done that. You're a bit stupid though. Why go through all the trouble of disguising yourselves, when you had to know that it was going to come to a fight?" The elderly ninja asks.

Privately, Itachi concedes that Danzo had a point. They had gotten in, but there was going to be a fight. People would overhear the fight and come running.

"Because we weren't planning on fighting you here." Sasuke says as he grabs Danzo and Flickers off.

 _"Well that was an unexpected move." Utakata muses back in the hospital._

 _"Well I'm glad that he had some semblance of a plan. It seems as though his teammates have already been briefed on it. They're following him." Itachi says._

He has his crow sit on Jugo's shoulder just as the gentle giant was disappearing. That had been a close one. He had almost lost them.

"The Forest of Death. How fitting. Sasuke, don't do this. You still have a chance to kill your brother and be seen as a hero. You can start over and the Uchiha Clan does not need to die out. You're meddling in things that you ought not meddle in." Danzo warns him.

 _"I've always called Sasuke foolish, but it seems Danzo is even more so." Itachi says with a sigh._

 _"How so?" Utakata inquires curiously, not sure what Itachi was getting at._

 _Itachi thought it was rather obvious. He didn't mind explaining though. Not to Utakata. There were very few things that he wouldn't do for the other man._

 _"Telling Sasuke not to do something, will just make him want to do it more. He's like every other teenager in that respect." The elder Uchiha Brother observes in amusement._

 _Utakata chuckles and Itachi could see that the other man could see his point. It was a rather obvious fact of life. Teenagers were almost always naturally rebellious._

"You aren't denying it. I expected a denial, even if it was true. You forced his hand. My family would still be alive, if it wasn't for you!" Sasuke snarls at him.

Itachi winces at the tone in Sasuke's voice. It was hard to believe that his baby brother could make such a savage sound. It was so venomous and full of hatred and cut like a knife. Burning.

Half of him expected Danzo's skin to melt completely off. The elder Uchiha had never seen anything like it and he hated it. Itachi hated what he had turned his innocent brother into. At that moment, he was a complete monster.

"That's partially true. I did give the order, but they were planning a Coup. Whether or not they won, the Leaf would have been completely destroyed. It could have set off another Great Ninja War. Had I not given the order, they might be alive today. Who can really say though? We might have all died in the war that resulted from their treachery." Danzo replies.

 _Itachi winces. That was the wrong thing to say. He could see that his brother was preparing to unleash Amaterasu. He never got to though. Someone else struck first._

"RASENGAN!" A blonde, black, and orange blur shouts as he charges at Danzo.

"What the Hell?!" Suigetsu demands, still disguised as Kiba.

That was exactly what Itachi was thinking to be frank. Where had Naruto come from? He had come out of nowhere.

Danzo swiftly dodges and undoes his bandages. His arm was now exposed. His hideously grotesque arm filled with Sharingans. Ten of them to be exact.

 _"Itachi, do you know why that man has so many eyes on him?" Utakata inquires warily._

 _"Unfortunately, I do. As long as one of them is activated, he has sixty seconds of immunity. After that sixty seconds, his ultimate technique will render that eye blind though." Itachi whispers._

 _His little brother essentially had to fight against an opponent who would be invincible for ten minutes. Ten minutes was a lifetime in a battle, especially at this level. Itachi mentally kicks himself for not going with his brother._

 _"That's not good." Utakata whispers and Itachi nods in agreement._

"Naruto! What are you doing here and how dare you attack me! I'm another Leaf Villager! That's treason!" Danzo demands.

Itachi watches with growing horror and has a sudden realization. Naruto had heard what Danzo said. He knew the truth now!

"And you ordered an entire family to get killed. You didn't even have the decency to do it yourself. You had a KID do your dirty work and Sasuke has been suffering for it ever since." Naruto growls at him.

 _Itachi winces as he sees that Naruto's eyes were now crimson red and his teeth were becoming sharper. He was starting to lose control. This wasn't good. This was the opposite of good really._

"Itachi may have been thirteen at the time, but he was no child. He had already been an ANBU Captain by the time he was asked to carry out his unfortunate mission. If his family hadn't been filled with a bunch of traitors, none of this would have ever happened." The other ninja retorts.

"You're a grave robber. You have no right to judge my family. Not when you're wearing their corpses!" Sasuke snarls at Danzo as he charges at him, slamming his sword straight through the man's chest.

 _It should have killed him, but instead Danzo just disappears. Itachi sighs. Damn it. His brother and friends would likely think he was clone, but that wasn't the case. Danzo was using a Sharingan to buy himself time._

"You're nothing like him. You're not able to see the entire picture clearly. Itachi knew what it meant to be a ninja. He knew that a ninja must live in the shadows and make sacrifices for the good of their village!" Danzo thunders at him.

"Sasuke! Be careful! There's something not right about this! Those eyes probably do something!" Karin warns him.

It was too late though. Danzo slams a sword into Sasuke. He misses a vital spot because the blonde throws his friend to the ground, earning a nasty gash to the arm for his efforts.

"That's not good. Jugo is very protective of Sasuke and so is Naruto." Itachi whispers.

Itachi was right to be worried. Jugo lost it. He attacks Danzo with an axe in a blind rage.

The elderly ninja didn't even see it coming. The axe loops off his head or so they thought. The axe slides through air and Danzo reforms behind the formerly gentle giant, sending him flying with a mighty punch.

"Jugo!" Suigetsu calls out.

It didn't take long for the Prodigy in the Art of Murder to come flying at Danzo. His sword cutting him in half. Well for a fraction of a second before the old man disappears again and uses wind chakra to cut into Suigetsu.

Blood splattered everywhere. Thankfully, it was only an arm injury the white haired ninja was able to turn his arm into water before it was fully cut off. It could have been a lot worse, Itachi thinks to himself.

"Damn him! He's doing something to avoid getting hit, but I don't know what!" Naruto growls.

That's when Itachi notices Sasuke's eyes on Danzo's arm. A couple of his Sharingan's had closed. His brother was beginning to unlock the pattern.

"Jugo, Naruto, and Sugietsu, I want you to all come at Danzo with everything that you have. Karin, we're going to need to tend to our injuries when this is done." Sasuke says as he charges up a Chidori and goes flying at Danzo.

"Baku!" Danzo says as he summons a massive tapir like creature.

The creature tries to suck Sasuke into its mouth using a wind attack, but Sasuke jumps back and lands on his own Summon. Garuda.

"A second Summon? Perhaps you aren't completely unlike your brother after all. It's too bad that you've decided to throw your life away!" Danzo says as he jumps on Baku's back and tries to lunge at Sasuke.

That didn't work out so well for him though. Naruto Summons his toad and does the same thing. He slams into him and knocks Danzo to the ground.

Danzo's body shatters on impact and another eye closes. Once the leader of ROOT rematerialized, he was behind Sasuke. He goes for a knock out punch and a sickening crunch is heard as Sasuke's jaw is broken, but the Uchiha thrusts his sword through Danzo's gut. "Killing" him again.

"Damn him! He just keeps coming back!" Suigetsu snarls as he looks around desperately, trying to find the ancient ninja.

Sasuke shakes his head and clutches his jaw in pain. Itachi notes that blood was pouring out of his mouth now and it was likely that his brother could taste it. That wasn't stopping him though.

 _He holds up a few fingers. Itachi smirks when he realizes why. Sasuke had figured it out. The Sharingans gave Danzo temporary invincibility, but it was a very short-term advantage._

"You damn brat! Baku! Take care of him!" Danzo orders his Summon.

The Summon was going for another attack, but Sasuke was ready for it. A giant fireball smacks straight into the massive beast and causes it to roar in pain and run off. Summons like that were particularly weak against fire. Danzo must have forgotten about that.

What happened next was a blur. Itachi's crow could scarcely keep up and that was saying something. On and on, Taka and Naruto would attack Danzo. He "died" many times, but always came back. Until he didn't.

"B-But how?! I still had another eye left!" He demands as he screams in agony.

Sasuke had driven his sword straight into his chest, locking him in place. One of Naruto's chakra tails was making sure that he stayed there. Even the crow could barely tolerate the sickening smell of burnt flesh.

"Every time you used a Sharingan for sixty seconds, it would close. I cast a Genjutsu to make you believe that you still had one more open. You didn't. As much as I would loathe to send you straight to Hell where you belong, I have a better idea. You're going to testify on Itachi's behalf. You're going to tell the villagers of this village the true nature of this place. If you refuse, I'll kill you. You may not be afraid of death but without you, those seals on your men will disappear. They'll be able to spill all your secrets." Sasuke warns him.

 _Itachi couldn't help, but smirk as he took in the scene further. The grass was stained red with blood. Danzo likely had several broken bones and his skin was turning black in some areas and others were rapidly swelling. The man was a mess._

He was far from the only one though. Suigetsu had a badly injured arm. Jugo was hunched over in a way that suggested he probably had a some broken bones in his back. Karin had been struck by various debris that had flown around during the fight. Sasuke had a broken jaw and Itachi was certain that Naruto had several broken bones of his own.

"They might be able to spill my secrets, but that doesn't mean they will. I've trained most of them since they were children. They have no desires other than to complete their mission. To protect the Leaf Village and serve me. They won't talk for you." Danzo hisses out as he spits some blood in Sasukes's face.

"I think that you underestimate how persuasive my brother's Tsukuyomi can be. I'd be more than glad to kill you. I'll hunt down your men and make one of them talk. The truth is going to come out anyway. You can choose whether or not you want to be around to soften the blow. It really makes no difference to me." Sasuke says as he wipes away the blood from his cheek.

How his brother was speaking with a broken jaw was something he didn't understand. He knew that it was likely that he had gained faster self-healing capabilities from his time in the Sound and defeating Orocohimaru, but never to this extent.

It still clearly hurt him though. It hurt Sasuke a lot to talk, but he was going to do it anyway. His foolish little brother was that determined.

"Can I carve him up and string him out for the Council to see?" Suigetsu asks hopefully.

"Possibly. It depends on what he says." Sasuke answers.

"Very well. I'll tell the truth, but the Leaf will see it from my perspective. We stopped a Great Ninja War. We were the ones who saved this world from falling into chaos again. Your Clan has been nothing, but a curse on this village since the day it was founded. My only regret is that I didn't have you killed along with the rest of them!" Danzo seethes.

Naruto glares at Danzo so hatefully, that it made Itachi shiver. He knew that the blonde loved his brother, but he hadn't expected the Nine Tails to be capable of this level of hatred. Before Itachi could fully analyze Naruto's face though, the blonde knocks him out.

"Thanks." Sasuke says as he looks at his former teammate warily.

"He needed to shut up. I can't believe this. They ordered Itachi to kill your family? Grandma Tsunade has a lot of explaining to do!" Naruto says.

"She didn't have anything to do with the genocide. Tsunade wasn't even here at the time. It's the Council that has to pay." Sasuke growls.

 _God help them all! Not again! His brother was on another quest for revenge and this time, it was against the Leaf Village. Damn it. This wouldn't end well, Itachi thinks to himself as he stares helplessly at Utakata._

 _"Don't worry. We'll figure something out. I promise. You'll just have to accept the fact that your story doesn't have to end in tragedy." Utakata says with a smile as he kisses Itachi's forehead._

 _Itachi wasn't sure that they would, but he wanted to believe Utakata. The man was completely sincere. Itachi knew that much. It was just whether or not the rest of the world was going to cooperate with their wishes that was going to be the problem. Though it looked like they had little say in the matter._

 _"Sasuke really is foolish." He mutters._

 _"He gets that from his beautiful and equally foolish big brother." The amber eyed ninja teases him and Itachi could only snort in response. (Really, what more could be said on the matter)?_


	9. Chapter 9

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I really am sorry that this one took so long. I had lots of plot bunnies and the site got glitch. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. **This one will be told from Itachi's and Sasuke's Perspectives.**

 **Important Announcement:** I have changed my screen name, but if you have fav/followed me or any of my stories, everything should still show up on your lists and you should still receive email notifications as you normally do. I apologize for any confusion.

Chapter 9

 _Itachi sighs as he looks at Utakata helplessly. "Do you think that you could stop them?" All he could do was watch his foolish little brother behave foolishly while he languished in the hospital room. It was infuriating._

 _He loved Sasuke. The elder Uchiha truly did, but he couldn't lie. A feeling of complete dread had settled in his stomach and it was only growing stronger with each infuriatingly loud tick of the nearby clock._

 _"I might be able to stop them." It didn't sound like Utakata wanted to though. "But I think that you should know your brother better than that by now. Even if I stop him this time, there will be a next time." Sadly, that was probably accurate._

 _It was an Uchiha Family Trait, Itachi supposed. They were all stubborn. Sasuke had just gotten a double dose of this particular quirk of biology._

"How did you get here anyway?" Sasuke eyes Naruto warily as the blonde helps Jugo place Danzo on his back.

Naruto grins. "I sensed your chakra." Right. That made sense. "So I came running and I overheard everything." Suddenly, the blonde's grin vanished and his expression turned dark. "I can't believe the Leaf would do something like this!"

Sasuke sighs. Naruto might not be able to believe it, but he could. Oh he could. It all made sense now. Why his beloved brother had seemingly transformed overnight into a coldhearted killer and why the Uchihas had their own District in the first place. It hadn't been about honoring their contribution to the Leaf Village's Foundation. It had been about isolating them.

"I can, but they're going to answer for everything." Sasuke darts off towards the Leaf with Team Taka, along with Naruto.

 _"You're likely correct about that." Itachi sighs again._

 _His beloved shakes his head and caresses his cheek. Most likely, he wanted to comfort him. Though he didn't think anything could be said that would make this situation better._

 _The Leaf's dirty secrets were about to be laid bare. Well at least some of them and it was likely going to rock the village to the core. He had never wanted this to happen._

 _The only thing keeping him sane was Utakata's touch. "I know that you wanted to die a martyr, but personally…I'm grateful that Sasuke is as foolish as he is." It anchored him in a way that the elder Uchiha Brother couldn't fully express._

 _"That's because you're a horribly selfish, Nomadic Ninja." He smirks. "And I love you for it. I love that you can forgive me for everything that I've done." Even if he would never be able to understand how the Bubble User was able to do so._

"Maybe, you guys should wait back here. I'll get Granny Tsunade." The blonde looks at Sasuke hopefully. "Then she can call a village meeting."

To say the least, the younger Uchiha wasn't particularly happy about that suggestion. Though as much as it irritated him to wait, he knew that in this case the loser was actually right. The truth would never be revealed, if everyone was too frightened of them to listen.

So he nods. "Alright. Go." What more was there to be said?

He sighs as he watches Naruto dash off. "Sasuke, do you really think that Blue Eyes over there can be trusted? I mean I know that he's in love with you and everything, but he might just warn the Leaf about us." The sword lover walks over to him.

 ** _SMACK!_** Sasuke's hand went flying before he could even process what was happening. He was just so furious with that Suigetsu had said that he acted without thinking about it.

"OWE!" Suigetsu glares at him. "Stop being so damn abusive! I'm just saying that your boyfriend is all over you and everything and that's cute, but he's still a Leaf Villager!" More glaring. "They aren't exactly our biggest fans!"

Jugo and Karin look at them in shock and Sasuke mentally curses. Great. He had just smacked Suigetsu and they were supposed to be teammates. It was only natural that Karin and Jugo would be concerned about that.

Sasuke gives Suigetsu a dirty look. "He's not my boyfriend and if nothing else, Naruto always keeps his word." The idiot had promised to drag him back to the Leaf for Sakura and well, here Sasuke was. Back in the Leaf.

Perhaps things weren't going the way Naruto had hoped, but he'd still kept his promise. Though there was no way in Hell that the Uchiha was ever going to serve this village again. It was the principle of the thing. The blonde was one of the few people in this world who he trusted completely.

 _Itachi rolls his eyes. "He might as well be." It was rather obvious that the blonde's dedication went beyond that of a brotherly bond._

 _"Well not everyone can have a relationship as smooth as ours." Utakata smirks._

 _Itachi couldn't help, but chuckle at that. Their relationship was anything, but smooth and they both knew it. That was what made it so amusing really._

 _Utakata was the Sixth Tails and a Nomadic Ninja. Itachi was a man who had butchered his Clan to prevent a war and was universally despised almost everywhere he went. They certainly made quite the pair to put it mildly._

 _Owe. "True enough." Laughing probably hadn't been his most intelligent idea though. Now, he was in agony._

 _"You should save your strength. The show is just beginning." The amber eyed ninja kisses him._

 _Kissing was helpful though. Itachi most certainly did enjoy that particular physical pursuit. It was a shame that he rarely got the chance to indulge in it._

About fifteen minutes later, Sasuke glances around the Leaf's Square warily. This was it. The moment of truth had arrived.

He was going to clear Itachi's name! After that, well the raven haired ninja hadn't thought that far. He probably should have though, but he would come up with something.

"EVERYONE ATTENTION! Naruto, what is the meaning of this?!" The busty blonde Hokage narrows her eyes at her fallen friend's student.

Sasuke did know one thing for sure though. Under no circumstances was he going to ever serve this village again. He didn't know what that meant for his relationship with Naruto though. As angry as the sapphire eyed ninja was, Sasuke doubted that he'd ever be able to just fully turn his back on the Leaf Village. That meant that they were at something of an impasse.

Karin was trying to wake Danzo up as the blonde begin to tell the tale. "You all deserve to know the truth. The truth about Sasuke, Itachi, the Uchiha Clan, and this village." Naruto stands in front of the Uchiha and Taka defiantly.

It was almost as if he was **daring** someone to challenge him. It was both the bravest and stupidest thing that Sasuke had ever seen Naruto do. This was Naruto though. He'd probably find a way to break this new record next week or something, knowing him!

"Naruto, what are you talking about?" Sakura rushes over to him and her eyes widen when she sees Sasuke was next to him.

The blonde sighs. "Everything. It seems that the Leaf ordered Itachi to kill his family. They were planning a Coup, after facing years of discrimination. Itachi killed the Uchiha Clan to prevent a Civil War." He glares at Danzo as the old man finally regains consciousness. "Though you don't have to take my word for it, take his!"

 _Itachi watches the entire scene with a morbid sense of curiosity. The cat was out of the bag now. There was no telling what was going to happen to his home, now that the truth had finally been revealed._

 _"Are you happy?" Utakata runs his fingers through Itachi's hair soothingly. "Are you happy that your name is finally being cleared?"_

 _Hmm. That was a good question, but it was one that the Uchiha didn't know how to answer. In some ways, it felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. In other ways, he was absolutely terrified._

 _He shrugs. "Honestly, I'm not certain how I feel at the moment."_

 _Truth be told, it didn't matter. The Leaf knew the truth now. It was just a matter of getting Danzo to confirm it and knowing his foolish little brother, that was more a formality than anything._

There were gasps and howls of outrage. "HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE LORD DANZO OF SUCH A THING?!" The outraged cries were really loud, Sasuke observes to himself. "THE LEAF WOULD NEVER ORDER A GENOCIDE!" Many people were obviously eager to defend their village's honor.

That thought brought a smirk to Sasuke's lips. None of them had any idea about the true nature of this place. They were all in denial.

"You better start talking now, before Sasuke slits your throat." Karin looks down at Danzo as the old man spits at her.

 ** _CRUNCH!_** Naruto's fist flew straight into Danzo's face before anyone could move. "Spitting in someone's face is rude. You're the one that should be shamed and spat on, not her."

Sasuke was strangely turned on and disturbed at the same time. Naruto was supposed to be the forgiving one. He was supposed to be the vengeful one. That was just how this was all supposed to work!

Tsunade's eyes widen as she watches everything. "We're going to need some proof of that." She sighs. "IBIKI, I want you to examine Danzo was thoroughly as possible. Leave no stone unturned!"

 _And now, the Hokage was being even more foolish than his brother. Will wonders never cease? Itachi didn't know whether he should laugh or cry._

 _She didn't really think that everyone was going to wait for a thorough investigation to be launched, did she? "Poor woman." He almost felt sorry for her in a way._

 _Tsunade clearly had no idea what she was getting into. The Genie had been let out of the bottle and there was no way to contain it now. One way or another, the immediate ramifications of the truth being revealed were about to be dealt with._

 _"I agree." Utakata watches anxiously._

 _His potential lover was intelligent enough to realize what was going on. Though the blonde woman had played no part in the Massacre, she was going to be the Hokage who had to deal with the fallout. It wasn't fair, but there was really no getting around that fact._

Sasuke sighs. "That's not going to work and you know it." He places his sword at Danzo's throat. "Better tell them everything or else. It's your choice how you wish to die." He presses the blade further into the vulnerable flesh, drawing a thin red line against the weathered skin of the elderly ninja in the process.

"Oh and there is that tiny thing about this sick fucker wearing a bunch of Uchiha Eyes on his arm to make him temporarily invisible!" Suigetsu shrugs. "Just figured that would be something you guy might want to take into consideration."

The raven haired Uchiha could only gape at his friend and teammate. That was all true of course, but the man had no sense of tact. Sasuke sighs and glances at Naruto rather helplessly.

Naruto sighs. "I'm probably never going to say this again, but Suigetsu is right."

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Suigetsu smirks smugly and then falters. "Hey! Wait a minute!" Apparently, he finally realized that he was being partially insulted.

Danzo glares at Sasuke. Not that that was going to stop the Uchiha. He wanted justice and the only way to get that was for the truth to be confirmed. After Danzo told the truth, the youngest Uchiha would sort out all the rest.

If the old viper thought that he could easily intimidate him, he had another thing coming. "You might as well kill me now then."

 _Itachi sighs. "Stubborn to the last." It was his damn pride really._

 _Pride was one of the biggest downfalls of any powerful ninja. In this regard, Danzo was no exception. For all his brilliance and strength, he was just as fallible as any other man._

 _"It's almost over." Utakata smiles at him. "Just think, when you're well again…we could go anywhere we wanted."_

 _Itachi smiles back. That was a nice thought. He wasn't entirely certain that it would be as easy as the other ninja seemed to think it would be though._

 _"Well I'm not sure where we would go." He did want to go with Sasuke. "It's almost certain that we couldn't return to the Leaf and you aren't really allied with any particular village." His foolish little brother would never serve the Leaf Village again._

 _Itachi was almost certain of that. Not that he could blame Sasuke. The younger man had very valid reasons to be concerned about tying himself to the village that had ordered a genocide against his family, but still._

 _The elder Uchiha had never really been the master of his own fate before. It was a new experience. In theory, they could do whatever they wanted now. The truth was out. There was nothing to stop them from going anywhere they wanted. From being whoever they wanted._

"Oh believe me, that can be arranged." Sasuke glares at Danzo as a crow streaks past the old man and into the sky.

Sasuke blinks. To most people, that would have meant absolutely nothing. He wasn't most people though. He understood that it was Itachi's subtle threat.

What his brother thought that he could do at this distance to Danzo, the younger Uchiha wasn't sure. Whatever he was threatening though, it certainly seemed to be having an impact on the ancient ninja. Danzo's eyes widen with fear.

"You had a child nearly wipe out an entire Clan. You're not the good guy in this story." Naruto's teeth suddenly grow bigger and his eyes turn from sapphire blue to blood red.

That wasn't a good sign. "Naruto, calm down!" Karin backs up in horror, realizing what was going on. Sasuke was considering doing the same himself, actually.

He couldn't believe that he was actually a bit wary of the idiot at the moment. Though he had good reason to be. He could sense Kurama's chakra now and there was no telling how much control Naruto actually had over himself at the moment. It was better safe than sorry.

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN LORD DANZO LIKE THIS?!" A Root Member lunges towards Sasuke, but he never got the chance to attack.

Jugo smacks him away as easily as a fly. Sasuke smirks in response. There were benefits to having a Shield. Not that Sasuke couldn't have easily dealt with the attacker, but it in was the thought that counted.

Jugo glares at him. "Attacking someone who has clearly gotten permission from the Hokage to speak, I would say that's treason. Wouldn't you, Suigetsu?" The gentle giant glances at the sword lover.

That's when some of the elders try to make a break for it. The truth was now coming to light and their only real hope of survival was to run. "HEY! Where you going?!" Unfortunately for them, Naruto wasn't going to let that happen. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

 _"This is getting out of hand." Utakata watches with mild amusement._

 _You could say that again. Now, Jugo and Naruto were actively fighting Leaf Citizens. That or at least trying to bar them from leaving. Itachi didn't know what to make of it and he doubted Tsunade did either._

 _He nods in agreement. "It will be interesting to see what Lady Tsunade does."_

The clones were now racing after the Council Members. It wasn't difficult for Naruto to corral them. After all, they were extremely elderly to begin with.

"NARUTO! Stop this!" The busty Hokage shakes her fist at the other blonde. "I did not give you permission to attack other villagers!"

Sasuke's eyes narrow. That wasn't a good sign. It really looked like Tsunade might actually try to protect them. To protect those scum!

He feels himself unconsciously activate his Chidori. Radiating it along his body. "Are those cowards really the people that you want to protect?" He digs his sword into Danzo's throat harder while the sword channels the Chidori.

"AHHHHH! YOU DEMON!" The old man obviously didn't care for that too much.

Not that Sasuke cared. He had to be made to pay. While most of the Leaf seemed to be innocent, the Council, ROOT, and Danzo were an entirely different matter. He wasn't going to let them get away with everything.

"Yeah. I would say so." Suigetsu glances at Tsunade. "Do we have permission to beat some manners into them, Your Royal Cleavageness?"

Karin twitches and Sasuke smirks. "THAT'S NOT A REAL WORD!" It probably wasn't, but it was amusing to see the red head get so annoyed about it. "YOU PERVERT!" True. Suigetsu was probably a pervert, but on the bright side…at least he had asked before going on a homicidal killing spree. Really, that was progress!

Tsunade twitches and for a moment, Sasuke thought disaster might have been successfully adverted. Mostly because of Suigetsu's big fat mouth. People were frozen in shock.

They didn't seem to know whether they should laugh, be outraged on Tsunade's behalf, run to safety, or something else. The moment didn't last long though. More ROOT Members threw themselves at Taka.

Suigetsu smirks and hacks through the ones who were closest to him. Blood splatters everywhere. The streets of the Leaf, were now coated partially in a dark red. Well for a few feet at least.

"We weren't done talking!" Karin glares at the Root Members, choosing to throw some kunais at them.

While she wasn't a combat ninja, the woman could at least throw kunais. Some of them hit the intended target. Sasuke slams his Chidori through one of the rib cages of a ROOT Member.

Not to be outdone, Naruto's Shadow Clones were trying their best to knock people out. While he wasn't aiming to kill, it became obvious that he had made his choice. If it came down to the Leaf or supporting Taka, Naurto would choose Taka.

 _Itachi didn't really know how to feel about that fact. It looked like Sasuke was drawing the same conclusion that he was though. The blonde was voluntarily willing to severe his ties to the Leaf in favor of protecting the youngest Uchiha._

 _"That's rather romantic." Utakata smiles. "He's willing to fight his comrades for his lover."_

 _The elder Uchiha Brother snorts in amusement. He very much doubted they were actually lovers yet. Though that didn't really matter._

 _He was in love with Utakata and they had never officially shared a bed in that respect. Mostly that was because he was too ill to do so though. That wasn't the issue with his foolish little brother and his fox. Their issue was one of obliviousness._

 _He chuckles. "Yes, I suppose that's true. It's likely going to take them some time to admit their feelings for one another though."_

 _"STOP THIS!" The Hokage's voice was fearsome. "RIGHT NOW!" It even made Itachi flinch and he wasn't anywhere near the woman._

Suddenly, all the fighting stopped. Every single pair of eyes was on Tsunade. She sighs and collects herself.

"Judging by the reactions of Danzo's subordinates, I don't think a trial is necessary. Those who were involved in the Uchiha Massacre will be executed." Stunned silence followed her announcement.

Sasuke eyes her warily. Just like that? She was going to give him what he wanted? Why?

"In exchange, all blood debts that the Uchiha Clan views itself as having against the Leaf will be wiped clean." Oh. So that's what she wanted.

Tsunade wanted a solution. She was willing to sacrifice the Council in exchange for the Leaf's safety. She had done the math.

Without Naruto, it was unlikely the Leaf would be able to defeat him and Taka. Well that or at the very least, they'd incur heavy causalities to emerge victorious.

Everyone in his team was formidable for one reason or another. "Sasuke Uchiha, do you accept this offer on behalf of your Clan?" Suigetsu was a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. "You won't get a better one." Jugo was a Beserker. "And I won't make it again." He was powerful and Karin was a Sensory/Medical Type of Ninja. He had chosen his team carefully and it showed.

"I'll accept the offer on the grounds that the Leaf revokes any rights to my Clan or to Taka." He pauses. "Whatever we do next is none of your concern and the same can be said of anyone who joins us." There was a good chance that Naruto simply might leave with them, after all.

There was still one thing that was bothering him though. "And on the condition that Itachi and I get to decide their manner of execution." He wanted them to die screaming.

 _Itachi sighs. "I should have seen that coming." Sasuke really could be so foolish sometimes._

 _"Yes, you should have." Utakata agrees as he kisses his almost lover's cheek affectionately._

 _Well still, things were going far better than he ever could have reasonably expected. They could do this._

 _They could end this unhappy chapter in their Clan's history. There was a chance that they could just leave the Leaf and start over. He could be with Utakata._

 _Itachi nods. "Well I suppose that his conditions aren't unreasonable." Though truth be told, he cared little for how the fossils finally died. As long as they were dead, he would be happy._

 _He would have allowed them the chance to live, if it had meant Sasuke could at least start over with a clean slate. Things just hadn't gone according to plan. Oh well._

 _It was time to make the best of the unusual situation that they all found themselves in. This could be it. This could be their way out._

Tsunade sighs. "Very well! Everyone stand down! There need not be anymore bloodshed here. Not today at least." The Hokage gestures for everyone to stop fighting.

It was like magic, really. Sasuke couldn't help but marvel at the power of a Kage. Everyone just stopped fighting as if nothing had ever happened. Now that was real power. Power that one day, he hoped either Naruto or Itachi would have. Power like that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands.


	10. Chapter 10

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Warnings have been put up before and after a certain scene in this chapter. It is NOT for the faint of heart. If you choose to skip it, the plot will not be altered. For those of you do choose to read it, happy reading.

Chapter 10

A few hours had passed since well everything. Itachi was currently curled up in the hospital bed and trying to get some rest. Trying being the operative word.

"Mmm Utakata." He sighs in contentment as he tilts his head to the side, exposing more of his neck to the other man. "As good as that feels, it's not very productive." To more of the other man's kisses and seductive touches. "I don't think that I'm going to be able to fall asleep, if you keep that up."

He feels the curve of Utakata's smile against the back of his neck. His lips were definitely moving in a way that Itachi was certain symbolized amusement.

"Well, I suppose it still counts as relaxing." Utakata nips lightly.

Itachi wasn't entirely certain how the amber eyed ninja knew this, but his neck had always been sensitive. It wasn't something he liked to advertise. Honestly, he had been relieved that the Akatsuki Cloak covered so much because of that particular quirk. And now, the Six Tails was exploiting this weakness without mercy.

He shakes his head. "Mmm whatever you wish to tell yourself." Itachi smiles as he tilts his head back slightly and kisses the other man.

The beautiful man who for some reason was able to overlook everything that he had ever done. Utakata knew that he had slain most of his family and loved him anyway. He knew that he had been part of the Akatsuki and loved him anyway. He knew that most of Itachi's life had been one grand deception after another. And he loved him anyway.

It was both the most beautiful and perplexing thing that the elder Uchiha Brother had ever heard of. He didn't really know how to process it. That was a new feeling for Itachi. Generally, he prided himself on his analytical skills. Here though, he was completely lost.

"Have you decided on what you're going to do about the Council?" Utakata kisses his neck more. "I'm certain that Sasuke is in the mood for quite the bloody spectacle."

Itachi sighs both in pleasure from the gentle kisses and in dread. "I haven't entirely decided yet, but you're probably correct about Sasuke." His foolish little brother likely had spent hours upon hours trying to decide what manner of execution would inflict the most pain and humiliation.

He almost felt a stab of pity for the Council, but it was gone almost as soon as it had whispered in his ear. These people were the ones who had him kill his family to prevent a war. Had they been more fair in their dealings with his family or had his family been more open, it was possible that none of them would have had to die.

Unfortunately, that hadn't happened and there was no way to change the past. And for once, it was the future that was calling to him. Rarely, did he think about the future in any long-term sense before.

"Of course, I am." Utakata runs his fingers through Itachi's hair. "I haven't known him very long, but you're brother is quite the hot head." Not that Sasuke didn't have legitimate grievances against the Leaf, but Itachi couldn't contest that label. "I almost feel sorry for the bastards, but I hope that you make them suffer for what they did to you and what they did to that kid."

Sasuke was hardly a child, but Itachi echoed the sentiment. He wanted to be noble and to understand that the Council had just been doing what they thought was best. What they thought would protect the village as a whole, but well he just couldn't do it.

He had been noble for years and what had he gotten in return? A life filled with scorn. A life where the person who had loved the most wanted him dead. And where he had almost missed out on love because the Leaf couldn't be bothered to do their own dirty work.

No. They had sent a boy to do a man's job. "I'm certain that Sasuke will ensure they suffer adequately." And Itachi had never been the same afterwards. "Both of your sadistic impulses were be satisfied long before they breathe their last treacherous breaths." Of that much, Itachi Uchiha was entirely certain!

"Do you feel well enough to travel?" His beloved looks at him seriously.

No. Not really. He felt better than he had in years, but it would have been unwise to journey all the way to the Leaf. It would have to wait.

Itachi shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. Though I imagine that Naruto will be more than willing to assist me." The Flying Thunder God Technique. Itachi had no idea how the blonde had mastered it, but according to his sources…he had.

"How so? Do they have a carriage or a horse you can ride?" Itachi snorts at that thought.

People like himself didn't ride in carriages. It was such a romanticized notion and he was anything, but. Then again, now he had Utakata. Utakata brought out the romantic in him.

A side of himself that he had thought was lost forever. That was until he caught sight of those beautiful amber eyes. After that, well he had been lost. Whether he had wanted to admit it or not.

He simply shakes his head. "No. I don't think so. Naruto will likely teleport us there." The eldest Uchiha smiles at that thought.

Utakata blinks. He wanted to ask how that was possible, but he thought better of it. If there was one thing that he had learned about Leaf Ninjas, it was there were times when it was better to just simply go with it. This was just one of those times.

* * *

A few minutes later, Naruto bursts into the room, dragging Sasuke behind him. Taka was also there. It was a rather comical picture to say the least.

"Hey, guys!" The blonde never ceased to amuse Utakata.

Sasuke was looking at Naruto in a manner that could only be described as positively murderous. Really, Utakata was beginning to wonder if the blonde had a Nine Tailed Cat inside him instead of a fox. The idiot really did seem to have nine lives.

Itachi smiles. "You must have left as soon as Tsunade said that we could decide the fate of the Council." It was quite a distance to travel without using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

For that Jutsu to work, one needed a seal in your current location and a seal in another. It could transport you over long distances, instantly. Though the seals were essential.

Seals weren't necessary for the Body Flicker Technique. So that was an advantage the other Jutsu had over its newer version, but it also couldn't transport one nearly as far as the Flying Thunder God could.

"Yeah. Between Sasuke's angry muttering and Naruto's dragging, we got here pretty quick!" Suigetsu smiles merrily.

Utakata didn't doubt for a second. What he was less sure of is what was going to happen after the Council was executed. Though he supposed that could wait for the time being. The Uchiha Brothers had most certainly been forced to wait long enough for justice.

Karin rolls her eyes. "Is now, really the time to be teasing them?" The red head was apparently rather fed up with her traveling companions' bickering.

"It's always the time to tease them." The violet eyed ninja smirks. "Because it's fun!"

The sight was rather amusing to Utakata, but he could see why it would grate on the red head's nerves after awhile. Anyway, they had more important things to focus on. Like getting back to the Leaf!

Jugo shakes his head. "Come on. Naruto's set up a Seal and the sooner the elders are dealt with, the better." The gentle giant had the right idea though.

If they waited too long, that would just cause unrest in the Village of the Hidden Leaves. Which wouldn't be good. As much as Utakata would like to see that place suffer for what it had done to Itachi, the Leaf was a power player.

The balance of power was a delicate thing. If it was thrown off because one village was bickering amongst itself, another village would fill the void. Which in turn would prompt the other villages to react and such things could easily spiral out of control.

The journey of a thousand miles began with one step or something like that. "Wonderful. Do you have the Seals in place, Naruto?" And Utakata was more than ready to take that step.

He was ready to watch the Council be punished and to start his new life with Itachi. His beloved wasn't out of the woods yet. Itachi was still very weak, but he would get better now.

The fact that he didn't have to worry about his younger brother trying to kill him, would definitely help him recover. The Nomadic Ninja imagined that knowledge had lifted a major weight off Itachi's shoulders. The elder Uchiha Brother was now free to live his life as he saw fit!

"Yeah! I got the Seals!" Naruto grins.

Sasuke looks at Itachi anxiously. "Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Unfortunately, his concerns weren't unfounded.

Utakata wasn't too keen on moving Itachi just yet, but it was better than allowing unrest to fester. Besides, Itachi wouldn't have tolerated lying in bed while that happened. His intended was just as stubborn as he was beautiful.

Which was saying something. Utakata could get lost in those eyes so easily. He also really liked Itachi's hair. It was nice and silky. Wait. He was getting off track here.

"As ready as I'm going to be." He stands up and Utakata immediately gets him a wheelchair.

"And don't even think about trying to walk." He gives him a firm look.

If Itachi thought he was going to prance about while he was still in recovery, he could forget about that. Utakata would personally chakra cuff Itachi, if he even thought about it. Hmm. Chakra cuffs. Now that certainly had possibilities!

Itachi shakes his head in amusement and gets in the chair. "I wouldn't dream of it." After all, the Uchiha knew when to just concede defeat.

There was no point in fighting battles that you couldn't win. Besides, he didn't feel up to walking yet. While the eldest Uchiha was confident that he could have managed it, he didn't want to. Not unless it was absolutely necessary.

"You're so completely whipped." Suigetsu laughs. "You've got it almost as bad as FoxBoy has!"

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Well he had to admit that Sasuke was apparently much more patient than he had ever given his foolish little brother credit for. It was nothing short of a miracle that the other man hadn't strangled the sword lover yet.

Whipped? Pft. "I'm far from whipped." He just knew how to choose his battles.

Under no circumstance, was he whipped. Clearly, the violet eyed ninja must have been smacked around a few too many times. Brain damage was the most likely explanation for his inaccurate observations!

"I never thought this would happen." Itachi pauses for dramatic effect. "But I've finally met someone more foolish than Sasuke and it's you, Suigetsu."

Utakata chuckles and follows Naruto outside to the Seal. The action brought a smile to Itachi's face. The other man really did have such a beautiful laugh. There was no denying that fact.

* * *

As soon as everyone was on the Seal, Naruto performs the necessary technique and they all found themselves in the Leaf again. Itachi wasn't entirely certain how he felt about that.

He would die to protect this village, but that didn't mean that he wanted to be here. There were too many bad memories here. Horrors that quickly returned to haunt him with every glance he gave to the village. It made him want to scream. Want to leave.

"We'll be out of here soon enough." Utakata kisses his cheek reassuringly.

Itachi nods in agreement. Well for Utakata it would be soon. For him and Sasuke though. It would be an entirely different matter.

Naruto gestures for them to follow him and leads them into the Leaf's Prison. Tsunade was there and she looked especially grim. Though the reason why was no mystery.

The Hokage knew exactly what was about to happen. "Let's get this over with. Everyone who isn't Sasuke and Itachi, get out of here." She sighs as she looks at them with wary eyes.

Well perhaps exactly might have been a bit of a stretch. Still, Itachi was reasonably confident that the woman could read between the lines. Tsunade essentially understood what he was planning to do.

It was the only thing that would give Sasuke any satisfaction. Itachi was going to have to perform that Genjutsu. The one that would allow him to manipulate even the perception of time itself and the one, that might finally be able to provide his baby brother with a sense of closure.

"But I want to be with them!" Naruto was the first to voice his displeasure though that didn't surprise Itachi.

Tsunade sighs. "As do I!" And Utakata was predictably second.

That man drove him crazy in every possible sense of the word. How was it possible to want to kiss and strangle someone at the same time? Itachi didn't know, but he supposed that was the beauty and the madness that symbolized love.

"That's too bad." She narrows her eyes in warning. "You're all coming with me. This shouldn't take more than a few moments anyway." The others protest a bit more, but it was a futile effort.

There were many reasons why Tsunade was Hokage. One of them was she wasn't an amateur when it came to dealing with stubborn people. No decent Kage was.

"I'll see you soon." Utakata kisses his cheek and smiles. "I love you."

Itachi smiles back. "I love you too." Yes, indeed. It was fully possible to want to kiss and strangle someone at the same time. He now knew that for a fact.

Utakata gives him one last look of longing after that, but soon leaves with the others. That meant that it would just be him, Sasuke, and the Council. "Lady Tsunade, are you staying?" He glances at the granddaughter of the First Hokage warily.

She shakes her head. "There are some things that I'd rather not see." And with that, she leaves them alone with the Council Members.

The Council Members who looked torn between seething hatred and outright terror. They were trembling. Whether it was with fury, fear, or both was somewhat hard to determine.

It mattered not though. "Tsukuyomi!" Their fate was sealed either way!

Sasuke smirks as he sees that they were in the red and black world that signified they were now inside Itachi's strongest Genjutsu. The one that was going to make the Council pay.

"I presume that you've given this matter a great deal of thought." Itachi glances at him.

The younger Uchiha found himself nodding. He had thought of little else for the past few days. He must have envisioned at least a thousand ways for them all to die screaming, but none of them had seemed suitable.

They were all too quick. Too merciful. No matter how many ways he came up with to make them bleed, it wasn't enough. He wanted them to _**suffer**_. To feel the pain that he and Itachi had and that's when he came up with his idea.

 **Warning Execution Scene**

"I want them to feel exactly what we did on that night." Sasuke glares at them. "I want them to feel everything and I want them to bleed out." The younger Uchiha decides it was best to elaborate. "One cut on each of them for every member of our Clan that had to be butchered."

Itachi blinks and Sasuke smirks in response. It looked like he had managed to surprise Itachi. That wasn't something that most people could ever say. He felt vindicated in a way.

"YOU'RE DEMONS!" One of the Council Members hisses at them.

They were all tied to a pole though. None of them were going anywhere and that knowledge made Sasuke smirk more. They were completely helpless. Just as he had been on that horrible night. The night that still haunted his dreams to this day.

Itachi glares at that one. "Perhaps, but we are the product of our environment." He sighs. "If we're demons, it is only because you a made us that way."

He then turns his head back to Sasuke. "I should think that your idea is more than a suitable punishment. Shall we start with what I felt that night and work our way forwards in chronological order?" Sasuke nods his head in agreement.

Itachi smiles, but it was a cold smile. A smile without any warmth or empathy as he places his hand on each of their foreheads, one at a time. He must have found a way to combine interrogation techniques with his Genjutsu because soon enough, there were tears running down their cheeks.

Itachi was forcing them to relive the Massacre. With one important catch. He was forcing them to do so through **his** eyes.

"That's for Izumi!" Sasuke snarls as he slices his sword across the stomach of one of the Council Members. "She used to babysit me." A fairly shallow cut though.

After all, he wanted them to bleed out slowly and painfully. If he went for fatalistic wounds, that would stop all the fun. And Sasuke wasn't going to allow that.

The pain and horror reflected in their eyes was intense. Sasuke hadn't seen Itachi commit the atrocities that he had been forced to carry out. Everything he knew about the Massacre was secondhand, but the eyes of the Council Members spoke volumes.

"And this is for Shisui." Itachi surprises him by dragging a kunai shallowly along a Councilwoman's throat. "He was my best friend."

Itachi had carried out his task dutifully and likely had done nothing more than kill them and cry silent tears, but he had been impacted by what he had done. He was not the heartless killer that the elder man had wanted Sasuke to believe he was so desperately.

One and on it went. Cuts everywhere. Some shallow and some not. The tears kept flowing and the Council Members were sobbing. Sasuke's perceptive of time was skewed here, but it felt like hours until they had completed the same mission that they had assigned Itachi.

"MAKE IT STOP!" The youngest of the Council Members screams.

Oh they would make it stop alright, but not until they had experienced the final act. Sasuke was going to make sure they knew, exactly what he had felt. How he had felt on the day that his childhood had been destroyed.

He smirks as he stabs one in the eye. "We're only at halftime. You wouldn't want to miss the grand finale." Sasuke moves and does the same to the others. "Now, would you? Besides, this is for our parents!"

The old man howls in agony as Itachi takes Sasuke's hand and then touches their foreheads. He was transferring Sasuke's memories to them. Making them relive it.

What seemed like hours more passed by. More cuts. Blood splattered everywhere. The streets were now crimson red. Their shirts covered in gore and the Council Members were a sobbing mess.

"Now, you know what we felt." Itachi caresses their cheeks in a psychotic way. "I was not given the opportunity to show my family much mercy, but I will grant you one small mercy." His lips practically brush against their ears as he continues. "The mercy of death."

Sasuke watches as if transfixed. "RELEASE!" And with that, the Genjutsu was dispelled and they were back in the real world.

In the real world, not a single mark was on them. They were still a mess though. Sobbing and quivering.

"Itachi said he'd grant you the mercy of death. He didn't say how though." Sasuke unbinds them and hands them each a kunai. "Whoever kills the others will get to live."

Sasuke watches in astonishment as the Council Members go after each other. They turned on each other almost instantly. It was as if they were wild animals.

The complete savagery was awesome to watch. Well in the worst sense of the word. Finally, one emerged victorious and looks at them expectantly.

"You're an idiot." Sasuke Flickers over to him with a Chidori fully charged in his hand. "You didn't actually think that we were going to let you go. Did you?" He slams his fist into the other man's chest. "You once tore out my heart metaphorically. Allow me to return the favor in a more physical sense." And with that, Sasuke rips out the other man's still beating heart and tosses it onto the ground in disgust.

 **End Execution Scene**

Itachi watches with no small degree of horror as Sasuke literally rips out the heart of the last Council Member. It was the final dramatic scene in this terrifying chapter in the Uchiha Clan's History.

After forcing them to relive the Massacre through both of their eyes and cutting them each once for every fallen Uchiha, Itachi had thought they were done. It seemed that Sasuke had other thoughts on the matter though. Having them turn on each other for the chance of salvation had been beautifully sadistic and then ripping out the other man's heart.

"It's over, Sasuke." Itachi sighs. "Everyone knows the truth and the Council has been punished."

They could start over now. He could be with Utakata and Sasuke with Naruto. Whether or not his foolish little brother would admit to desiring that last part was irrelevant. It was obviously going to happen.

Sasuke nods. "It's just hard to believe." He sighs and looks at Itachi. "After all this time, this is the end."

Itachi shakes his head and embraces the other man. "No, my foolish little brother, this is just the beginning." He smiles at him. "We've been given a second chance. Let's not waste it. Now, hopefully Naruto can tame these violent and sadistic impulses of yours and I'll be very happy with Utakata."

Sasuke gives him a dirty look. It was obvious that his brother was less than pleased about his advice. That was fine though. His irritated look just made the entire situation that much amusing.

"I don't like him that way." Sasuke rolls his eyes.

"Of course not." Itachi pokes his forehead. "You love him. You're just too stubborn and foolish to admit it." Itachi smiles. "It seems to run in the family. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my own Jinchuuriki to get back to." And with that, Itachi Flickers off to his soon to be lover and leaves behind one very agitated and sputtering, foolish little brother.


	11. Chapter 11

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Sorry that this one is so late. I got caught up with my other stories. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place one month after the last one.

Chapter 11

 _Beautiful._ Itachi honestly didn't know what was more beautiful. The Waterfall Village, Utakata's amber eyes, or that rather tempting looking bowl of cabbage soup!

"How are you feeling?" Utakata sets the soup on the table, before climbing onto the bed with Itachi.

Luckily, the table was right by the bed. So it didn't take long for the Six Tails to pull Itachi into his lap and get him his soup! Which was a damn good thing! He was ravenous!

Itachi smiles as he begins eating. "Hungry and better." It was true.

He felt his strength returning him just a bit more every day. Itachi may not be back at full strength yet, but he imagined that he was at least halfway, if not three quarters there. And that felt damn good really.

"I've never seen a man who likes cabbage as much as you before." Utakata laughs softly. "Then again, it seems that Sasuke is fond of tomatoes. So I suppose it must run in the family."

Itachi rolls his eyes. He honestly didn't see why people constantly were downing cabbage. It was a perfectly respectable food. Though that last part made him smirk.

"Is that what you told Naruto?" Itachi's eyes dance with mirth. "To try to seduce my brother with tomatoes?"

Utakata laughs and kisses his forehead. "Don't be ridiculous." He smiles smugly. "I was more through than that. I suggested tomato soup, tomato salad, regular tomatoes, pasta, and so forth. Variety is the spice of life."

The way that Utakata was suddenly looking at him suggestively spoke volumes though. The other ninja wasn't merely talking about variety in eating habits. It was a not so subtle innuendo.

"Well I do appreciate a thorough man." Itachi kisses him, after he finishes his soup. "I know that this hasn't been the easiest path for you and that there are certain things that I haven't been able to give you yet, but you've never abandoned me."

It wasn't that Itachi didn't want to be intimate with the handsome Nomadic Ninja. He did. Unfortunately, his body had just refused to cooperate up and till this point and it would likely still be a bad idea to fully indulge in the carnal arts just yet.

Utakata smiles as he caresses Itachi's cheek and returns the kiss. His eyes were both on him and on their room. They now had a charming house that they called their own.

The two of them were rather fortunate that the Water Village had let them move here. Well maybe, fortunate was the wrong word. Naruto could be very persuasive when he wanted to be and well, he had wanted them all to have a safe home and a chance to start over.

"What do you mean? The part where you tried to kidnap me so you could kill me by extracting my Tailed Beast?" Utakata chuckles. "Perhaps the part where you fancied yourself quite the martyr while I was falling in love with you." He pauses. "Or there was that whole incident with your brother trying to kill you and the execution of the Council Members. Honestly, I have no idea what you mean." He smirks. "Doesn't that sound like an easy path to you?"

Itachi couldn't help, but laugh. Utakata had been through so much for him and yet, the eldest Uchiha Brother could scarcely give him anything back. Thus far just words and some passionate kisses, but that was all.

"Well when you put it that way, I don't know what I was going on about either." He smiles mischievously. "Besides, God knows that we've had an easier time of it than my foolish little brother and his adorable little fox."

Those two were firmly in denial. Still, Itachi couldn't argue with the results. Naruto had saved their necks more than once and he had talked Shibuki into letting them stay.

Itachi knew that practicality and a sense of gratitude for help Team Seven had given the Waterfall Village so many years ago, had won out in the end. Despite that, he had been impressed at the blonde's resolve. Truly, it was something to be admired.

Utakata kisses his cheek. "Indeed. Those two are going to be dancing around each other for at least another week, I would say." A week was being extremely generous in Itachi's opinion though.

"I would say that they're being ridiculous, but I also denied my feelings for you for far too long." Itachi turns around and kisses him heatedly. "So I can't judge. I just hope for the love of God, you're right. My foolish little brother does need to get laid."

Utakata laughs. "I love you." He smiles and kisses Itachi. "You never fail to surprise me."

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke was helping out in the fields. The Waterfall Village was very much self-sufficient. Even most the Hidden Villages, they were in a league of their own.

It had been a long time since he had actually worked in fields. His Clan used to have them in their District. So Sasuke wasn't completely unfamiliar with how to tend to them.

"Geez!" That wasn't the case for Naruto though. "How do you guys do this? This is worse than Taijutsu Training with Bushy Brows and Bushy Brows Sensei!" Obviously.

The idiot had absolutely no tact. Why that surprised him anymore, Sasuke didn't know. He supposed that Naruto was just Naruto at the end of the day.

"Yeah. This is crazy. I'm gonna go try to catch us some fish!" Suigetsu turns to head off, smiling at the farmers. "Don't worry, I'm sure that Sasuke, Naruto, and Jugo can handle it. We have to eat sometime, right?"

The farmers simply nod in agreement. Sasuke couldn't help, but wonder if they knew who was helping them with their fields. They certainly acted a bit wary of them, but they might just be wary of Taka and Naruto in general because it was obvious they weren't from around here.

He had never seen a village that was more insular than the Waterfall Village. Which was why it was the perfect place to start over. He had been surprised when Naruto suggested it.

 _"Where the Hell are we going to do now?" Suigetsu crossed his arms behind his head. "We obviously can't stay in the Leaf, but I don't really feel like going back to the Sound."_

 _That was a good point. Unfortunately, Sasuke didn't have a real answer. He hadn't thought that far ahead._

 _In his defense, it was hard to conduct long-term planning when you were plotting an execution. A particularly vicious series of executions actually. He probably should have thought this out more, but it was too late to fret over such matters. Right now, they needed to plan._

 _"We can go to the Waterfall Village." Naruto grinned. "Team Seven helped them out a long time ago. They'd probably let us in."_

 _Itachi paused as he considered that. "Well my foolish little brother, it seems your foolish little fox has a point." Sasuke twitched at that. "They are the most secretive of the Hidden Villages. We might be able to start over there."_

 _That was true. Sasuke still hated being called foolish and little though! Honestly, he was a grown man now and he wasn't foolish!_

 _"Sounds perfect!" Karin smiled._

 _Well it definitely did. Hell, even Suigetsu seemed happy about the choice and Jugo was Jugo. He was apparently going wherever Sasuke did and that was that._

 _"So it's agreed then?" Sasuke looked at all of the warily._

 _"Of course." Utakata and Itachi smiled in response as they nodded their heads in unison._

 _The whole,_ _ **"We are one,"**_ _couple thing was starting to make the younger Uchiha uneasy. It was a bit unsettling how they finished each other's sentences and their eyes rarely left each other._

 _"I'm in!" Karin ginned._

 _Suigetsu nodded. "Well I don't really have anywhere else to go." He smirked. "I just hope that they have some really cool swords!"_

 _Sasuke did as well. That might keep the violet eyed ninja out of trouble. Then again, he knew that was unlikely. His teammates were if nothing else, very predictable. There were times when that was comforting and times when that was annoying. It just so happened this time, it was a mixture of both._

 _"I will go as well." Jugo smiled kindly. "As always, I will serve as your shield."_

 _That was apparently the wrong thing to say in front of Naruto. The idiot looked like he was going to have a fit. Oh boy._

 _"And obviously, I'm going too!" He grinned at Jugo, but it almost looked like he was baring his teeth at the other man. "I don't think you need to worry about being Sasuke's shield too much! I've got that pretty well handled."_

 _Sasuke rolled his eyes. He understood Jugo's fixation with being his shield to a degree, but the blonde should know better. He didn't need anyone to protect him._

 _"Whatever." He shook his head. "Lets just get going." And with that, everyone headed off towards the Waterfall Village._

"Naruto, stop whining." Sasuke rolled his eyes again. "You sound like such a baby."

Just like that, the blonde lunged at him and they were soon rolling on the ground together. Grappling for supremacy. Sasuke supposed some things would never change, no matter how old they got.

* * *

A short while later, Utakata smiles as he watches Itachi run his fingers through those silken locks of hair. It was his tell really. Some people fidgeted. Some stuttered. And well some people, played with their hair when they were nervous.

Itachi Uchiha was definitely nervous about something. He just wasn't sure what yet. Which was odd. It would seem that they had managed to solve all of the other man's problems. What did he have to be nervous about?

"Is something on your mind?" There had to be. Itachi wasn't one to fidget for no reason.

Itachi nods and leans over to caress his cheek. "There is a lot on my mind." Utakata couldn't help, but smile at the gentle touch.

It said so much. The words didn't even have to be spoken. The _"I love you,"_ just hung in the air. Like an unspoken promise.

"Well perhaps, I could help deal with whatever is troubling you." He always had before. (Whether Itachi liked it or not)!

Itachi smiles at him slyly and kisses him. "It's more like I could help you with what troubles you instead." _Oh!_

 **Warning Lime**

Suddenly, Utakata liked where this was going very much! Well at least that was his last coherent though as he kisses Itachi back and the other man quickly tugs off his pants.

His boxers were no match for the fearsome ninja. They too were soon discarded in the corner. "Well I have to admit that I have been very _troubled_ as of late." That was the truth.

He supposed that it was just unavoidable. He was a healthy man in his midt-twenties. It would have been more concerning, if he wasn't interested in intimacy!

"Yes, I know and you have largely endured that in silence." Itachi shakes his head in amusement as he grasps Utakata in his hand. "You've been rather patient and brave to endure so much suffering." He smiles slyly as he strokes him. "I should at least try to ease your tension."

Like he was going to say no to that! Finally! Finally, he was go further with Itachi than just kissing.

Oh he loved kissing Itachi. It was a beautiful experience. Like flying really, but he also knew that kissing was more of a stepping stone or a preview of things to come than anything else.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea." And he was very, very excited to explore other aspects of the carnal arts with Itachi.

Itachi smiles and kisses him again while he continues stroking him with his talented hands. They were slightly rough, but softer than most ninjas. They were also a decent size, wrapping around his cock like it was nothing and teasing him to the point of madness.

"Mmm." It was a beautiful madness though and Utakata bucks against that wonderful hand as he deepens the kiss.

Itachi was a master of seduction, really. Whether that was intention or just a natural part of his being, the Nomadic Ninja didn't know, but he wasn't going to argue.

All he needed to know was those beautiful crimson red eyes were looking at him with desire and a lightly sun kissed hand was playing with his cock like said hand owned it. And fuck, did that turn him on!

Itachi breaks the kiss, but not the other contact. "I love you and I want to be with you." His hands began to move faster and faster, Utakata's arousal could only throb in response. "But it would probably be wise to wait just a little while longer before we are fully with each other." His eyes sparkle with mischief. "Still, that doesn't mean that I can't relieve a bit of your _stress_."

"You're hands need to be reclassified as a World Wonder." Utakata pants as he bucks against those wickedly talented hands. "God that feels good."

Itachi smirks in response and grips him harder and faster. "Good. Just let yourself feel good. For once, I'd like to take care of you." And with those words, Utakata was a complete goner.

He came hard and fast. The Six Tails doubted that he had ever found his release that fast before. Nor had it ever been that intense. It felt as if he was actually flying as Itachi finally let go of him.

 **End of Lime**

"You're amazing." Utakata kisses him heatedly and Itachi smiles as he returns the kiss.

He breaks it and his smile only grows. "And you, Utakata, are even more so." Yes, he was a goner. There was no going back now. He was definitely in love with Itachi Uchiha.

* * *

Back in the Leaf, Tsunade sighs as she reads a letter that she never wanted to read. The one that confirmed that it hadn't been a nightmare. Naruto had really left the Leaf and he wasn't coming back.

 **Dear Lady Tsunade,**

 **I am writing to inform you that my village has recently accepted several transfers. This is usual for us, but we have several reasons why that is the case. A long time ago, Team Seven helped my village and I intend to return the favor.**

 **Of course, that isn't the only reason. There are enormous financial and practical benefits. My village has never really had a bloodline before and now, it will have four. Karin's, the Uchihas', Suigetsu's, and Jugo's.**

 **They are all exceptional ninja in their own right. I never expected to take Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Karin, Jugo, Suigetsu, and Utakata in, but I am sure that they will all make exceptional additions to our village.**

 **I do hope that this will not cause tensions between the Waterfall Village and the Leaf, but I was told that all their ties to your village were severed. Still, I feel that it is something of a professional courtesy to inform you of this.**

 **Warm Regards, Shibuki….Leader of the Village Hidden in the Waterfall.**

It was really over then. Naruto had found another village. She had always feared that this day would come though.

Painfully obvious. That's what it was. It was painfully obvious that he was in love with Sasuke. Almost as obvious as the fact Sasuke wasn't the only Uchiha who had captured a Jinchuuriki's heart.

"The way that they looked at each other was like something out of one of Jiraiya's trashy novels." Tsunade sighs. "Itachi and Utakata."

She didn't know whether to be envious or somewhat disturbed by the fact Uchihas appeared to be magnets for Jinchuurikis. Madara had once controlled the Nine Tails. Gaara had targeted Sasuke at the Chunin Exams. Naruto was in love with Sasuke and now, the Six Tails was in love with Itachi. (A love that seemed very much to be returned, by the way).

"They should rename their Clan, Jinchuuriki Bait." She sighs as she pours herself a drink.

It was out of her hands now. Tsunade could only hope that they would find peace in the Waterfall Village. The type of peace that apparently, they were never going to find in the Leaf.

Otherwise, things wouldn't end well. She just knew it. The formerly humble Waterfall Village had just added a few powerful ninjas to its ranks.

It almost made Tsunade shudder to think what would happen, if that village was attacked. The Waterfall Village now had two Tailed Beasts, two Uchihas with fully active Sharingans, two Uzumakis, a gentle giant who could lose control at the drop of a hat, and a Prodigy in the Art of Murder.

"It's impressive in a way." Impressive, but frightening. "I suppose, only time will tell what the future holds."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Waterfall Village, Itachi and Utakata were engaging in some well deserved snuggling. In Itachi's mind, everything was as it should be for the moment.

The horrors of the past seemed so distant. It was strange. He had carried the weight of some of the Leaf's worst secrets on his shoulders for years and now he didn't. Not only that, but Sasuke had forgiven him. And then there was Utakata.

"I love you." Utakata smiles and Itachi nods.

"I love you too." He rests his head on Utakata's shoulder, but frowns as he realizes the other man was reaching into the drawer of their dresser.

What was his almost lover up to? Obviously, he was reaching for something. What he wanted though, well that was a mystery to Itachi for the moment. He suspected that he would find out shortly though.

Utakata smiles and places something small in Itachi's hand. "There are no actual laws against it." Itachi looks down to see what it was and gasps. "Two men marrying, I mean."

It was a beautiful wedding ring. A golden band with spirals designed to look either like waves or tree rings. There were also three large diamonds along it. One in the center and two about an inch apart from the largest diamond.

"You're p-proposing?" It was a new experience for Itachi.

He doubted that he had ever actually stuttered before, but he was definitely doing it now. Utakata had managed to surprise him. The eldest Uchiha Brother wasn't sure how that was the case, but it was.

Utakata nods. "I know that we haven't been together that long, but we've overcome more obstacles since we got together than most couples will in a lifetime." That was true.

Still, he couldn't believe it. Utakata was actually ready to walk down an aisle with him and say, _"I do."_ Itachi had always thought himself above such sentimentality, but now that his amber eyed significant other was proposing to him…he knew the true. Itachi Uchiha wasn't above it after all.

"Yes." He smiles and kisses Utakata passionately. "I will marry you."

Utakata smiles and returns the kiss. Of course, Itachi was only human. There were certain jokes during a situation like this, that no one could resist. And in this case, Itachi was no exception.

"Good. I'm glad." Utakata shoots him an utterly brilliant smile.

A smile that made the Uchiha feel almost guilty for what he was about to do. Well almost. It was still far too good of an opportunity to pass up. Situations like this only arouse so many times in one's lifetime. It was important to take advantage of them when they did.

"I must be rather exceptional with my hands though." Itachi smirks. "For you to propose immediately after _that_!"

Utakata rolls his eyes and laughs. "Well that wasn't the only reason, but I have to admit that didn't hurt." He smiles and kisses Itachi's forehead. "I really do love you. The fact that you really know how to handle a kunai, well that's just a bonus."

Itachi laughs and smiles. Well that was nice to know. He just hoped that his recovery was a swift one. He would love to be able to show Utakata more of what he was capable of, but unfortunately he was a bit limited at the moment.

"And I don't want you to think that I'm a selfish lover." Why on Earth would Itachi think that? "I fully intend to return the favor and more." Oh right. Good!

Though his concern about appearing selfish was rather unfounded. If anything, Itachi had been the selfish one. Utakata had risked a lot to be with him and Itachi well he hadn't really been able to give him back much in return.

The only thing that he had really given him besides one release was a promise. A promise that they would be together. And judging by the ring that was now on his hand, his sexy Tailed Beast had accepted that promise.

"I would never think that." He smiles brushes Utakata's bangs out of his eyes. "I suppose we'll just throw two bouquets." A garter belt felt a bit more feminine than he was comfortable with. "One at my foolish little brother and one at his foolish little fox."

Uatkata laughs and nods. "That sounds like a fine idea to me." Of course, it did because it was brilliant.

"We'll have to make it look like an accident, of course." Itachi nods with mock seriousness.

The amber eyed ninja nods his head agreeably and smiles. "Of course. Well I think that we should be able to manage that." He smirks at his fiancé.

Itachi nods sagely. "Yes, I quite agree. Now we should get cleaned up and tell them the good news." He smirks and with that, the two ninjas proceeded to do precisely that. (After all, Itachi was eager to see the look on Sasuke's face when he found out that he was engaged. He was sure that would prove to be **most** amusing)!


	12. Chapter 12

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

The next day, Itachi smiles as Sasuke visits him. He could be out and about if he wanted to, but the elder Uchiha Brother thought that it was wiser to conserve his energy. He'd recover faster that way and he definitely wanted to be fully recovered by his wedding night.

"Itachi, there's something on your hand." A fact that his foolish little brother was about to discover. "Let me get it." The raven haired ninja reaches over to grab it, but the other Uchiha stops him.

He smiles at him as he does though. "That would be called an engagement ring and it is exactly where it is meant to." He had no idea how Sasuke would react to this new, but Itachi supposed he was about to find out.

Sasuke was good at many things. Hiding his emotions, well that had never been one of them. One way or another, the elder Uchiha was certain that he was bound to get quite the grand show in approximately sixteen seconds.

His brother had always an intelligent person, but he was also human. It was going to take him a few seconds to get over his shock and then likely compose himself enough to be coherent. Most people probably would have been gob smacked for a minute or two, but for Sasuke…sixteen seconds sounded about right.

He surprised him. "You're e-engagement ring?!" Sasuke did it in fifteen. Impressive. A full second earlier than expected.

Had Itachi lost his touch or was Sasuke just adapting to his environment faster? A second might seem trivial to most people, but not to ninjas. To ninjas, a second or even a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death.

"Yes, my engagement ring." Itachi smiles. "Utakata proposed and I said yes." Something that he couldn't imagine regretting.

Sasuke blinks at him. "Is that legal in the Waterfall Village?" A tactful way of asking, but Itachi knew what his brother meant. Was that legal anywhere?

Itachi nods. He knew the various laws. The former Criminal Ninja had broken most of them, after all.

"As there is no law against it, it's technically legal." Itachi smiles again. "And I care little for the legality of it anyway." It seemed that he couldn't stop doing that since Utakata asked Itachi to marry him. "It's what we feel for each other that matters most, not what others think about it."

He couldn't lie though. It would be nice to have their love formally acknowledged by others. That was a benefit though. As some might say, that was the icing on the cake.

"Oh." His foolish little brother was obviously stunned. "Well um good." Mercifully though, it looked as though Sasuke wasn't going to object.

Itachi didn't know what he would have done, if Sasuke had. He loved Utakata, but he also loved his brother. That would have put him in an impossible position.

He smiles at him and pokes Sasuke's forehead. "Thank you. Your blessing truly does mean the world to me." And Itachi meant that from the bottom of his heart.

* * *

Meanwhile Utakata was out and about in the Waterfall Village. He was heading towards a Wedding Shop. Perhaps, not surprisingly, Naruto notices him while he was on his way there.

The six tails liked the blonde. He did. "Hey, Utakata!" It was just that he wanted to be left alone while he picked out his wedding kimono. Was that so much to ask?

"Naruto." He nods his head in acknowledgement of the other man.

Apparently, it was. The bubbly ninja didn't seem in any particular hurry to leave him alone. This was likely going to get annoying. Very, very soon.

He grins at Utakata. "So what are you up too?" The blonde tilts his head to the side and adds as an afterthought. "How is Itachi?" Clearly, Naruto meant well. It was just poor timing on his part.

"Itachi is getting better by the day." The amber eyed ninja smiles at him. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have important matters to attend to." Oh what the Hell? "Why don't you go see if Sasuke needs help in the fields?" Those two needed a shove.

Naruto shakes his head and actually flails. To this, the former nomad could only raise an eyebrow in amusement. There were times when Naruto's boisterous nature was amusing and other times when it was annoying. In this case, it was both.

"I tried that." He pouts as if he was a child. "Working in the fields is hard." More flailing. "It's even rougher than training with Bushy Brow Sensei and Brushy Brows!"

Nevermind. Utakata didn't want to know. He definitely did not want to know about these Bushy Brow people. Whatever. He had more important matters to focus on.

"Ah well. I'm sure you'll find a way to keep yourself entertained." Utakata nods his head encouragingly at him. "You should explore the village more or something of that nature."

Naruto shakes his head. "Nah." Great. Just wonderful. "I've already explored most of it." He grins widely. "It's not that big, really."

Well that was true, but it wasn't very helpful to Utakata at the moment. Lovely. How was he supposed to get Naruto to leave him alone without hurting the man's feelings?

He smirks as he sees a book shop. Ah that should do it. Well there no harm in making sure that the blonde was thoroughly educated. Really, in the long run, he was doing the other man a favor.

"Well if you're bored, why don't you go check out that bookstore over there?" He points to a building that was made out of handsome bricks. "And perhaps check out one of the books with a blue cover."

Naruto raises an eyebrow. "Um alright. Maybe." He tilts his head in confusion. "What are the blue books about though?"

Utakata somehow manages not to laugh. He had no idea how a man who had studied under Kakashi AND Jiryaia could possibly be this innocent, but apparently…he was.

"Oh you'll see." Utakata couldn't refrain from smirking though. "Unless the Great Naruto Uzumaki is afraid of a book." Laughing yes. Smirking now.

This was too wonderful of an opportunity to pass up. Itachi was going to be very amused when the Six Tails told his fiancé all about this. Idly, Utakata wonders, if Itachi would even believe that this had really happened!

Naruto scoffs. "Whatever!" He immediately starts heading towards the bookstore. "I'm so not afraid of a book!"

"Good to know." In some ways, the blonde was wonderfully predictable. "Go ahead and prove it. Make sure to read it from cover to cover." It was so easy to wind him up.

The blue book was actually a spinoff of Jirayia's works, but it was designed to carter to men who liked men. There was also a pink spinoff series that was tailored for women who liked women.

The second and third series weren't written by Jirayia. Even if such a thought had occurred to the man, he was already dead. There would be no more sequels for him. It was quite sad really.

"Well now that that is taken care of, I can get my wedding kimono in peace!" He smiles and heads inside the shop.

After all, only the best would do for his wedding with Itachi. After everything that man had been through, he deserved the best wedding ever. It was really the least that fate could do for him.

* * *

Back in the Leaf Village, Tsunade sighs. There had been no word from the Waterfall Village since Shibuki's letter. She knew of the old saying. No news was good news, but the busty blonde had never really took much stock in it.

Whoever came up with it, clearly wasn't thinking about ninjas. No news usually didn't mean good news. It usually meant bad news and as if that wasn't bad enough, she had to explain to Sakura what had happened to two of her teammates.

"You are never to speak of this to anyone." She warns her. "The last thing we need is for this to get out. I shall brief the rest of Team Seven, but no one else is to know." Tsunade pauses. "Well except perhaps, Hinata."

She didn't know who she felt worse for. Sakura or Hinata. Both had "lost" their first crush, but the Hokage knew that they'd move on one day. As romantic of a notion as it was to only ever truly love one person, Tsunade knew that wasn't always the case.

For her there had been Dan and Jiraiya and once upon a time, even Orochimaru for a short while. That had just been a childish infatuation though. One she never acted on and before he had gone off on the wrong path (and also when his tongue had been normal)!

Sakura nods at her respectfully. "Yes, Lady Tsunade." She bows to her. "I understand."

Her eyes narrow though. Tsunade knew exactly what her star pupil was thinking. Sakura had to know. If she didn't know, the not knowing would likely dr4ive her apprentice insane and well, the Leaf woman just couldn't have that.

The young medic showed such potential in the art of healing. It was quite likely that before Sakura's career was over, she would save hundreds, if not thousands of more lives. Her sanity needed to be preserved from perhaps the most dreaded question of all time. _What if?_

"It seems that they've all settled in the Waterfall Village." Tsunade sighs.

Sakura blinks in shock. "The Waterfall Village?" Yes, that had been Tsunade's reaction as well.

Though it did make sense in a way. "Shibuki remembers what Team Seven once did for him and his village." The busty blonde shakes her head. "And by accepting Taka, the Uchiha Brothers, Utakata, and Naruto into their village, they've gained quite a lot of power."

"Two tailed beasts, two Uchihas, the Hozuki bloodline, Jugo's bloodline, and Karin's own unique abilities." Healing and sensing. "You're right." When Tsunade put it that way, it made perfect sense why the Waterfall Village would accept them.

"Exactly." Tsunade sighs heavily, once more. "There was also the economic benefit." Now, that the Uchiha Brothers had been cleared of all charges, they had transferred whatever assets they could into the Waterfall Village.

Obviously, there were some assets that couldn't be converted into cash or they refused to do so. The Uchiha District had been rebuilt and stood as a reminder of what had happened. Tsunade suspected that both brothers had wanted it that way.

Sakura shakes her head. "Well I can't really blame them. Though I suppose we should be grateful that it was the Waterfall Village and not a major military power or a rival."

Without Naruto, the Leaf's military might had taken a great hit and they both knew it. Though Tsunade was confident the Leaf was still the strongest ninja village overall, losing Naruto had hurt. Badly.

They had already lost Sasuke years ago. Which had also hurt. So had losing Itachi, but Naruto carried the Nine Tails inside him. That was perhaps their ultimate trump card in case of emergencies and now he was gone.

"Yes, I suppose that's one way to look at it." Not to mention, Naruto was Naruto. "Well I do hope they find happiness in their new home." He had an endless sense of optimism and determination. The kid seemed to have won at least half of his battles off sheer force of will in her mind.

The Will of Fire burned so strongly in him and now, that fire was in the Waterfall Village. Tsunade supposed that it was ironic.

"Do you think that Itachi can ever really move on though?" Sakura looks at her curiously.

Tsunade could only shrug. "I have no idea." She hoped so. Everything that had happened, hadn't really been Itachi's fault.

He might have killed the Uchiha Clan and joined the Akatsuki, but if he hadn't…someone else would have. And without him, they never would have been able to monitor the Akatsuki's movements as much as they had. At least, Itachi had given them relatively painless and quick deaths.

Someone else might not have had the same courtesy. Killing them with kindness had never been so used so literally before.

"I do too." Sakura nods sadly.

Itachi might have already found it though. Love was definitely in the air. It was hard to articulate, but there was a certain look people had when they were in love and Itachi had that for Utakata. And so did Utakata for the elder Uchiha Brother.

Some things were universal. It didn't matter where you came from or what your occupation was. One could just tell when someone was completely besotted by someone else.

"Yes, well have you got those medical reports?" She looks at her student.

The medic nods her head energetically. "Yes, Lady Tsunade!" And she hands her the report happily.

"Good work." Tsunade smiles as she looks it over. '

She could only hope that the Uchiha Brothers' love stories ended happier than her own had. If they didn't, well the blonde shuddered to think about it. Sasuke and Naruto had quite the temper and well, Utakata and Itachi were also formidable. She doubted the Five Nations could survive anything less than an ideal relationship for each of the two respective couples!

* * *

A few hours later, Sasuke raises an eyebrow as he observes a rather bizarre sight to put it mildly. Naruto had stormed into Itachi's and Utakata's room while the Uchiha Brothers had been planning the impending wedding with the Six Tails. And his lips just would not stop moving.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Naruto fails wildly. "YOU DAMN PERVERT!" And neither would any other part of his body.

Utakata was smirking. So Sasuke knew that his brother's fiancé had done something. He just wasn't sure what.

"My Love, what did you do to the poor boy?" Itachi raises an eyebrow at the amber eyed man.

Yeah! That's what Sasuke was wondering! It must have been something to freak Naruto out this much. Then again, Naruto had always been the most easily excitable person that the younger Uchiha Brother had ever met. So maybe, this was only to be expected.

It was bizarre. "I merely pointed him to a nearby bookstore." To see a grown man like Utakata snicker, but he was definitely snickering. "And I gave him a reading recommendation." Uh huh?

"A READING RECOMMENDATION?!" Naruto was now glaring daggers at Utakata and Sasuke's eyebrow was rising ever higher. "Is that what you call it?! You damn pervert!"

It must have been one Hell of a recommendation. This was obsessive, even by Naruto Standards. And those were some pretty high standards to begin with!

"And what did you recommend?" Itachi laughs softly.

Utakata smirks in response and that immediately made the hairs on the back of Sasuke's neck stand up. What had his future brother-in-law done? He almost didn't want to know.

Utakata's smirk continues to grow. "Oh a certain blue book." Damn it!

Not that one! It had been one of the favorite series in the Sound Village. Which surprised Sasuke. He had certainly never thought that group of ninjas would ever be the type of people to read books about anything other than Jutsus, but apparently at least some of them were.

Well at least they were readers, when it came to topics that _aroused_ their interests. Sasuke may have glanced at the book once or twice out of curiosity and that was enough of a reason to know exactly why the idiot was freaking out so much!

"Please tell me that you didn't actually give him **that** book." Sasuke sighs.

Naruto blinks. "Wait. You know which book he's talking about?!" The blonde gapes at Sasuke.

Sasuke smacks his forehead in frustration and looks at his brother pleadingly for help. Unfortunately, it was Utakata who stepped in and he had apparently decided to make things at least a thousand times worse.

"I thought that it would be educational for you." Utakata smiles like the cat that got its cream. "Though it seems as though Sasuke is already familiar with the mechanics."

That was more than enough to cause Sasuke's cheeks to turn a rosy shade of pink. He couldn't believe this! He was actually blushing like Hinata!

"My Love, don't be cruel." Itachi chuckles as he kisses Utakata.

Utakata chuckles and returns the kiss. He couldn't help it. It was just so much fun to tease them. Those two really needed to stop dancing around each other!

For now though, he allows himself to be distracted by the feeling of Itachi's lips against his own. Soon enough, they would be in wedded bliss and hopefully, Itachi would be feeling well enough to _thoroughly_ enjoy their Honeymoon.

Perhaps it was evil, but he couldn't help it. "Forgive me, Sasuke and Naruto." He looks at them briefly. "I may have overstepped my grounds." And with that, he returns to the kiss.

He added tongue. Something that Itachi was always receptive to and he knew would drive the other ninjas off. After all, there was nothing wrong with wanting some private time with his fiancé.

"Right." Naruto's voice sounded so deliciously uncomfortable. "Um, bastard?" He looks at Sasuke. "Do you want to go work in the fields some more?" The blonde pauses, obviously trying to come up with any excuse to make a not so tactful exit. "Because the villagers could probably use our help."

Sasuke nods. "Yeah. Sounds good." He shivers and gives his brother one last look. "If you need any help planning the wedding, we're going to be in the fields." And with that, Sasuke grabs Naruto's hand and Flickers of with him.

* * *

Itachi laughs as soon as they left. The sound was like music to Utakata's ears. The man really did have such a beautiful laugh. It was a shame that he hadn't been given a reason to showcase it much until very recently.

"That was quite sadistic of you." The eldest Uchiha chuckles.

Utakata shrugs. Yes, it was. Still, no one could argue with the results. Perhaps now, Sasuke and Naruto would finally admit their feelings for each other.

Oh well. Even if they didn't, they still had other plans to get them together. "Yes, I'll freely admit to that." He smiles and caresses Itachi's cheek. "Though I don't think you wanted to marry a strictly proper man, anyway."

Itachi smiles and kisses Utakata's hand. That was all it took for the Six Tails to know that everything was going to be alright. Just a simple touch and he was melting like an Academy Girl.

He probably should have been disturbed by that. That Itachi could affect his emotions so easily and without trying to, but he wasn't. Utakata was in love and that was that, he supposed.

"That's true. I quite like it when you're improper with me." Itachi smiles mischievously. "And soon enough, I'll enjoy being improper for you."

Utakata certainly liked the sound of that. He understood that his beloved needed time to properly heal, but it could be frustrating at times. It was difficult to have such a beautiful man for an _almost_ lover. The almost was incredibly frustrating and he knew that Itachi knew that.

Which made him feel a tad guilty. Itachi shouldn't have to worry about such things. Utakata was just being impatient. Though he was at least trying not to show that too much.

"I hope so." Utakata smiles at him. "So do you have a preference on the type of cake you would like?" He glances at his beloved.

Itachi pauses and shrugs. "I've never been one for cake, but I'm sure that ours will be the finest cake in all of existence." The elder Uchiha Brother smiles. "Merely because it is our wedding cake and for no other reason." He pauses and adds an afterthought. "You may choose the cake."

For some reason, Utakata was almost positive that was likely going to be Itachi's response to most of the questions. He was just such an accommodating person when left to his own devices.

"Very well then." He nods in agreement. "The finest cake it shall be."

* * *

Elsewhere in the Waterfall Village, Taka was getting settled in. "Well I'm glad it was the Waterfall Village and not the Sand." Suigetsu sighs in relief as he places his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. "That would have sucked."

Karin rolls her eyes, but Suigetsu didn't care. He needed to stay hydrated. It was just part of being a Hozuki! Much like how being a banshee was part of Karin being Karin!

"You're such an idiot." She glares at him.

Jugo looks genuinely confused. "He's right though." Well at least someone was on his side! "If we stayed in the Sand, Suigetsu would become largely useless to us." Hey!

So much for someone being on his side. Suigetsu couldn't believe this! He was being ganged up on by his own teammates!

"Whatever. I think I'm gonna start a weapons shop." He smirks. "It'll be completely badass!"

Karin shakes her head. "I'll likely take a position at their Academy." Suigetsu shrugs. Whatever. He supposed that was a step up from being a prison warden.

He glances at Jugo. "What about you?" Suigetsu smiles at the other man. "What are you planning to do?"

Jugo tilts his head thoughtfully as he considers the question. It was likely he had never actually been asked that before. So the sword lover couldn't blame the other ninja for being thrown for a loop by the seemingly simple and yet, so complex question.

"I think I'll help with training their Ninja Dogs and Cats." Ah that made sense. "It'll be useful and I quite like them." Yeah. Jugo was pretty good with animals.

"Careful with those cats though." Suigetsu sighs. "Sassy says they can rip you to shreds, if they're not careful."

Jugo laughs and shakes his head. It was obvious that the other member of Taka thought he knew something Suigetsu didn't. Which obviously bugged him.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" The white haired man twitches.

Jugo just smiles. "They're only vicious if you run out of catnip." Oh right.

"So you're planning to bribe the vicious little beast?" Suigetsu liked cats. "Brilliant." But Ninja Cats were VICIOUS! "I guess we should all stock up on catnip, just to be on the safe side then." He nods.

They should probably warn Itachi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Utakata though. Just to be on the safe side. Suigetsu was about to head off to do that, when he blinks at the strange sight before him.

Naruto and Sasuke were both blushing madly and storming off to the fields. "Hey, what's up with you two?!" What could simultaneously embarrass and piss them off so much?!

"SHUT UP YOU PERVERT!" Naruto flails at Suigetsu.

Sasuke twitches. "You don't want to know." The younger Uchiha Brother sighs as he drags the blonde off by the collar. "Just leave it at that."

Well alrighty then. Sometimes, it really was better just not to ask. This was especially the case whenever dealing with Leaf or former Leaf Ninjas! "They're all crazy!" Suigetsu says with a heavy sigh as he heads off to buy lots and lots of catnip to offer as a sacrifice to the evil Ninja Cats!


	13. Chapter 13

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the wedding chapter.

Chapter 13

 _Three months._ It took three months of planning, but the day of Itachi's wedding had finally arrived. Never before had three months felt like an eternity to the normally patient Uchiha, but they had in this case.

"You look better." Sasuke nods at him.

His foolish little brother always had such a way with words. Itachi knew what Sasuke meant though. The elder Uchiha _looked_ healthy. He **felt** healthy! It was nothing short of a miracle.

"Thank you, Sasuke." He smiles. "Where is Naruto, Kisame, and Karin?"

The blue Akatsuki Member had somehow found out where they were about a month ago and had retired from the Akatsuki. Kisame seemed quite content to stay in the Waterfall Village.

Itachi supposed this was largely due to the fact that the other man was well bored without him. Quite frankly, Kisame's appearance could frighten people, even if he did feel inclined to socialize. It had never bothered Itachi though and surprisingly, he had become quite popular in the Waterfall Village. Well at least amongst some of the more adventurous children.

"They're with Utakata. He needed a procession too." Sasuke shrugs. "Karin and Naruto are cousins. So they're trying to bond or whatever. Kisame didn't think it was safe for him to be here."

Suigetsu snickers. "Probably because he knew he'd make jokes about Itachi being the bride." This causes both Uchiha Brothers to give the sword lover a dirty look.

Honestly, there were times when Itachi truly wondered if the man had a death wish. The violet eyed ninja certainly did seem to enjoy greatly pushing his luck. So it wasn't outside the realm of possibility!

"So of course, you're going to make the jokes for him." Jugo laughs.

Suigetsu nods in agreement. "Damn right, I am!" He laughs some more. "I mean the Uchiha Brothers are so pretty and prissy, of course they're the brides in this scenario."

Itachi twitches, but Sasuke was way ahead of him. "Chidori!" After the lightning attack was fired off in warning, Suigetsu wisely decides to shut up.

So it seemed the man did have some sense of self-preservation in him, after all. Good. Itachi had been beginning to wonder.

"You do look quite nice in your wedding kimono though." Jugo rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

Jugo was definitely the peacekeeper in Taka. Which was good. Someone had to be. His foolish little brother had certainly assembled quite the boisterous team to put it mildly.

Itachi smiles as he looks at himself in the mirror. "Thank you." The former Criminal Ninja scarcely recognize the man who was looking back at him!

This man was a happy creature, with eyes alight with joys and amusement. His hair was the same and his features mostly the same, but he looked lighter. No longer weighed down by his illness or his guilt as he was proudly wearing his wedding kimono.

It was a simple, but handsome one. The kimono was made of the finest navy blue silk, with the Uchiha Clan proudly stitched on the back for all the world to see. The look was completed with a dark purple sash. Which was the exact same shade as his nail polish.

"Come on. We should get going." Sasuke smiles. "I think that Utakata has waited long enough." He shakes his head in disgust. "And if we don't hurry, he'll probably show Naruto more erotic literature."

Itachi smirks. He knew that he shouldn't, but who could resist such a marvelous opening? "One day, you might be grateful that Utakata showed him that." The positively murderous look that Sasuke gave him in response, made the elder Uchiha laugh.

He was just so wonderfully predictable. Ah. The perks of having such a foolish little brother.

"You are such a pervert." Sasuke rolls his eyes at that and smacks Suigetsu. "Don't even say ANYTHING or I will Chidori you below the belt next time."

Suigetsu whines, but their process heads outside anyway. After all, Sasuke was right. It wouldn't due to keep Utakata waiting any longer than he already had!

* * *

Meanwhile Utakata was standing next to a beautiful alter made out of oak with flowers woven into it. He was standing next to Karin, Naruto, and Kisame. Perhaps, these were not the most conventional choices for a groomsmen procession, but he was happy with them.

Such things were of little importance to him when the sky was so ridiculously blue. Everything seemed as if it was brand new. The sounds of the birds chirping. The warm summer's breeze. The scent of the various foods that had been laid out so intricately on all the tables with their snowy white table clothes and the grass had never looked greener. (Literally and metaphorically)!

"Good luck!" Kisame grins at him. "You're going to need it. Itachi's freaky eyes can keep anyone in line!"

Utakata could only snort in amusement as he continues looking out at the river and the village that surrounded them. There had to be a couple hundred people sitting on chairs with red velvet cushions. Probably a couple dozen cakes of all kinds set out with just as many different kinds of alcohol. And soft music was playing in the background. Classical music.

Classical music suited Itachi. Beautiful, yet simple. It lacked the aggressiveness of many other kinds of music, but had stood the test of time. Just like his future husband!

He chuckles at Kisame's advice. "I think I can manage." He smiles as he watches several crows fly down the aisle, carrying small buckets in their mouth that were filled with flowers.

Sakura Blossoms. "It just had to be Sakura Blossoms." Sasuke was less than pleased about that.

Apparently, one of his former teammates had pink hair and was named Sakura. That girl's parents must have hated her, Utakata decides. That was just a recipe to ensure that your child would be teased for life in his mind!

"Oh look at that!" Someone points up towards the crows. "How clever!" There were laughs and gasps from the audience.

The Waterfall Villagers were clearly used to dealing with more tame ninjas. Quite honestly, Utakata was relieved that Naruto and Sasuke hadn't offered to use their own Summons for the wedding. It was better that Itachi's crows handle the flowers.

A little boy was coming up with aisle with the rings. "Awe. He's cute." Naruto smiles.

Indeed the boy was. That was something that he and Itachi hadn't discussed. Obviously, they were two men. So having children in the conventional fashion wasn't an option.

Still, there was always adoption and surrogacy. Then again, maybe Orochimaru had figured something out in the Sound Village before his passing. That would be nice, if the Sannin accidentally helped them after his death. Ironic, really.

"Wow!" Utakata smiles when he knows the precise moment that Sasuke was escorting his brother down aisle.

Wow, could only be used to refer to Itachi in this context. When he sees his fiancée, it soon became apparent why someone had exclaimed that. Itachi was very much worthy of the title wow.

The crowd was large because most of the Waterfall Villagers were still rather curious about the newcomers. That and the novelty. Utakata doubted that they had seen very many marriages between two men before, if they had ever seen one.

Shibuki smiles when Itachi, Sasuke, and the rest of their procession finally made their way to the alter. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Itachi Uchiha and Utakata." His kind eyes scan the audience. "If anyone has any reason to object to this union, please speak now. If you do not, you may never get another chance."

Suigetsu and Kisame wave their swords around cheerfully. "I really wouldn't recommend protesting." Suigetsu grins.

Kisame nods in agreement. "That's right. Kid and I will make mincemeat out of anyone who does." He smirks. "There is a reason why I call this brat a Prodigy in the Art of Murder!"

There were gasps from the crowd and Itachi shakes his head in amusement. Well he supposed that was one way to ensure that there were no protests. He couldn't argue with the results because the crowd issued no objections.

"Right." Shibuki rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "As the Kage of this village, I'm afraid that I can't allow either of you to attack my villagers!" Itachi had to admire the man's bravery.

They all knew that unless Shibuki had the Hero's Water, he stood no chance against either swordsmen. Though it was the principle of the thing. Clearly, this was a Kage who was very dedicated to their village's safety. He was a good leader in his own quiet way.

"Don't mind them." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "They're just being idiots." Itachi chuckles at that.

"Right. Well, onto happier matters." Shibuki smiles sweetly at the happy couple. "Do you Utakata take Itachi Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have, hold, love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? Do you pledge to stand by his side in good times and in bad, be it in sickness or in health? And most importantly, do you promise to forsake all others as you walk alongside on this journey that we call life…until death do you part?" The dark eyed Kage smiles more.

Utakata nods happily. As he gazes at Itachi, he had never been more sure of anything in his life. Itachi was the one for him. In fact, he was so certain of this, he was willing to wear the exact same wedding kimono as his beloved.

"I do." He smiles at Itachi. "Always and forever, even if he is the biggest martyr that I have ever met."

Sasuke smirks at that and Naruto snickers. Well he was glad that people were getting amusement out of his wedding. Still, that didn't make his statement any less true.

Shibuki chuckles at that, but doesn't stop the ceremony for long. "Do you Itachi Uchiha take Utakata to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have, hold, love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? Do you pledge to stand by his side in good times and in bad, be it in sickness or in health? And most importantly, do you promise to forsake all others as you walk alongside on this journey that we call life…until death do you part?" He was nothing, if not efficient.

"I do, but I'm not a martyr." Itachi shakes his head in disbelief. "As you can see, I am very much alive and that definition is still not accurate."

There were more than a few chuckles from the crowd. Though Utakata had to hand it to Shibuki. The Six Tails wasn't sure how, but somehow the man was able to keep a straight face through the proceedings.

"Then by the power vested in me by our Great Land and the Waterfall Village, I pronounce thee man and well man?" Shibuki frowns. "That sounds a bit odd, but you do make a handsome couple! You may kiss the Bride." He smiles happily.

There were more than a few snickers from Sasuke, Naruto, and Taka at that bride remark. "Itachi, don't give me that look." Utakata chuckles as he pulls the beautiful, but highly annoyed ninja closer to him. "I swear that I didn't plan that part."

Itachi shoots him a rather skeptical look. Oh boy. His beloved didn't believe him. This might not end well.

"I'm not entirely certain that I believe you." He shakes his head and brushes his lips against Utakata's. "But if you kiss me in just the right manner, I might be willing to overlook this incident anyway."

Utakata smirks at that. He could certainly do that much and he did. There were few things better than kissing Itachi.

Itachi sighs in pleasure at the kiss and wraps his arms around his beloved's neck. He knew that everyone was staring at them, but that didn't bother him in the slightest. Honestly, kissing another man was probably one of the least shocking things that he had done thus far. They could deal with any of the shock factor.

There were some whistles after a few moments. "Well, Sassy take notes." Suigetsu grins. "That's apparently how you kiss a guy."

Sasuke rolls his eyes again. "Fuck you, Suigetsu!" For a moment, Itachi breaks the kiss in the interest of watching the fight.

There was a very real chance that his foolish little brother might actually Chidori the sword lover again. Thankfully, Jugo steps in the middle. Though Karin looked like she had been thinking about it.

"Suigetsu, stop teasing Sasuke!" She glares at him.

Sasuke nods. "That's right." Itachi could only chuckle at his brother's expression.

Oh boy. He actually thought Karin was coming to his defense on this one. This was going to be quite entertaining.

"Besides, Sasuke you should be saying that to Naruto or he should be saying that to you." She smiles.

Sasuke and Naruto both sputter and twitch. Itachi couldn't help, but laugh. "Come on, My Love. I believe it is time for us to toss the bouquet and garter belt."

Utakata nods as he slowly slides the garter belt out of Itachi's pocket. "It would have been rather awkward to slide it off your leg." Which was true. And which that thought in mind, he hurls the garter belt right into Naruto's face.

The idiot had been asking for that for awhile. The blonde blushes bright red at getting hit in the face with the lacy garment and well, Utakata couldn't help it. He laughed and laughed.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU DID THAT PURPOSE!" Naruto shakes his fist at the Six Tails angrily.

Utakata smirks. He wouldn't deny that. It would make him a liar and a liar was certainly not worthy of being married to Itachi.

Itachi chuckles and grabs his bouquet. "Brother, catch!" And with that, he tosses his flowers at the other Uchiha. Smacking him in the face with them.

Sasuke twitches, but Itachi was more than happy to take Utakata's hand and teleport them to one of the cakes. It was a damn good thing that he did too. Sasuke's temper was like a volcano. One had to get out of the blast radius quickly, if they didn't want to be consumed by hot lava!

"That was an excellent usage of Flickering." His husband praises him as Itachi cuts the cake with him.

He smiles at the other man. "Yes, it was and I imagine that you'll be saying many similar things after the festivities have concluded and we begin our Honeymoon in earnest."

"That does sound promising." Utakata smirks as he smashes some cake in his beloved's face. "In earnest, you say?"

Itachi chuckles as he eats the cake and returns the favor. He could only hope that their beautiful wedding kimonos wouldn't be destroyed completely before the night was over. That would be such a shame.

"Yes, very earnestly." Itachi laughs at the overly eager expression on his almost lover's face.

"Well I do like the sound of that." Utakata smirks as he leads Itachi off to the dance floor.

The music was playing around them. Wrapping the two of them in a cocoon of sorts. Itachi was fortunate. He had had dancing lessons before the Massacre. All Clan heirs, did once they reached a certain age.

Sasuke hadn't. He had been too young. Though Itachi notes with more than a small trace of amusement, his foolish little brother was being drug off to dance by Naruto. Hopefully, at least one of them would be able to figure it out.

Itachi smiles and wraps his arms around Utakata's neck. "I thought that you might." Letting him lead.

After all, he didn't care about such trivial things. What did it matter, if he allowed Utakata to lead the dance or not? The most important thing was that he was alive and he had just married the man he loved.

That and despite all odds, they had settled in a beautiful, peaceful village. A village where Sasuke now lived. His wonderfully foolish little brother who had forgiven Itachi for the many wrongs he had done him and who would hopefully, be walking down the aisle as a groom soon enough.

"You know me so well." Utakata smiles as he spins Itachi around.

The eldest Uchiha nods. "I should hope so." It would have been rather foolish to marry the other man, if he didn't!

He'd leave being foolish to Sasuke. Itachi considered himself to be a practical man, except when it came to his husband. With him, he had eventually thrown caution to the wind, even if it had taken him awhile.

"Where did you wish to go on our Honeymoon?" Utakata looks at him as they sway in time to the music.

Itachi shrugs. The motion was so unlike him, but it felt like a natural response to that question. "It doesn't matter. I doubt that we'll be leaving the bedroom throughout the duration of it anyway." He smirks.

Sadly, Itachi was more bluster than anything else when it came to the topic of intimacy. He'd had only a handful of lovers and those had mostly been for missions. Utakata was his first real love. Not the puppy kind of love that he had once experienced while he was still a Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"I'm glad to hear it." He caresses his cheek. "I wasn't planning on allowing you to leave the bedroom much, but I thought it might be presumptuous to say so out loud."

It was highly presumptuous, but Utakata could be quite the presumptuous person. Well at least he was, when it came to Itachi. The former Akatsuki Member imagined that he was far less pushy when it came to other matters and people. He was merely a special case.

"So why is your face blue?" One of the village kids looks up at Kisame, interrupting Itachi's train of thought.

Utakata chuckles. That was something that he had wondered more than once. Though he had figured it was rather rude to ask. Then again, children seldom worried about such things.

They often asked whatever was on their mind. Whether it was rude or not. There was a certain beautiful freedom to childhood, that few adults were allowed to revel in. One that he envied at times.

Not anymore though. Not when he had Itachi. Utakata had everything that he had ever wanted right in his arms at the moment. Though it would be highly improper to start their Honeymoon just yet.

"You're mind seems to be going a million miles a minute." Itachi looks up at him with amusement.

"My dad was a shark." Kisame grins at the kid.

The kid blinks. "No way! Really?!" Suigetsu just shakes his head in disbelief at Kisame's answer.

Clearly, the other Mist Ninja was in the mood to call Kisame out on his tall tale. Well at least Utakata thought it was a tall tale. It was really hard to tell with the large Akatsuki Member. The man's father might actually be a shark for all he knew!

"He's such a fucking liar!" Suigetsu shakes his head.

"HEY!" A Waterfall Villager was outraged and charges over to Suigetsu. "Watch your mouth around my son!" The overprotective mother was now much to everyone' shock, dragging Suigetsu off. "We're gonna have to wash that filthy mouth of yours out with soup!"

Itachi blinks. "Well that was quite entertaining." He shakes his head as he kisses Utakata's cheek. "Though it does provide quite the marvelous distraction. Don't you agree, My Love?"

Utakata smirks and nods. "Yes, it does." He offers Itachi his arm and the two of them slip off together.

* * *

Together. They would always be together now. The rest of the partygoers could enjoy a nice dinner of cake and the other delicacies that had been laid out on the tables before them. Right now, Itachi and Utakata had more important things on their minds!

Like, how soon could they get back to their home? That and was their house soundproof? Better to do a Soundproofing Jutsu to be on the safe side, Utkaata decides.

Oh and most importantly, how quickly could he get Itachi out of that glorious wedding kimono? "Thank goodness for Suigetsu's filthy mouth." Itachi laughs quietly as they slip away.

So far, so good. No one seemed to have noticed that they were heading off. They'd explain later.

Actually, on second thought that wasn't necessary. Surely, everyone was aware of this tradition. Of course, the married couple was going to try to slip off. Usually, someone would catch them.

Not this time though. "Yes, thank goodness." They were ninjas. Badass ninjas as Naruto would say. And badass ninjas didn't get caught as they were trying to sneak off to their Honeymoon!

"You really thought that you were going to slip off that easily?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Naruto at his side. "Pft. Give us some credit." They both hurl the garter belt and flowers at their "attackers."

"Yes, foolish little brother." Itachi sighs and walks over, ignoring the fact that he was now covered in flowers. "You caught us." He pokes Sasuke's forehead. "Very good."

Naruto shakes his head. "I can't believe you jerks did that." Utakata shrugs.

They both deserved it and they knew it. Utakata had never seen two people before who were so perfect for each other, deny their feelings for so long. It was actually a bit annoying!

"You both deserved it and you know it." He flings the lacy garter belt right back at them. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a Honeymoon to get to." And with that, he scoops Itachi up in his arms Bridal Style and Flickers them off.

* * *

Sasuke blinks and looks at Naruto stunned. "We're just going to pretend that we didn't see that." Frankly, that was a disturbing image. His brother being scooped up Bridal Style and carted off like some fairytale princess!

"Yeah." Naruto nods. "Um wanna go get some more cake?"'

Sasuke nods. "Yeah. Cake sounds good." He walks back towards the others with the blonde. "I wonder if they have velvet cake?"

He liked velvet cake. It was something of a secret weakness. Not that the loser would actually remember his preference for it, anyway.

"You're so prissy." Naruto laughs. "Seriously, velvet cake?"

Sasuke twitches and smacks him upside the head. "You're such a loser." And with that, he storms off in a huff in search of his precious. His velvet cake! He'd smack Naruto around more later. A man had to have his priorities!


	14. Chapter 14

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that everyone enjoys the Honeymoon Chapter.

Chapter 14

Utakata smiles as arrive just outside their house. He was a bit surprised that Itachi wasn't protesting being carried Bridal Style. Then again, the Uchiha might have expected such a thing to occur.

"I had no idea you were so traditional." Itachi laughs softly as his almost lover carries them into the house and towards their bedroom.

Well Utakata had never really thought about it all that much. As the Six Tails, the man had just assumed he would never marry. That was until Itachi came along.

He smiles down at the beautiful man in his arms. "I wasn't until you came along. Though if you prefer something more modern, I do have a few ideas." It was truly amazing how someone who was so light in weight was also a very dangerous S Class Ninja. "Most of them involving consummating our marriage."

Itachi shakes his head and pulls Utakata down for a kiss as the other man continues carrying him towards their bedroom. "You have my attention." Utakata smiles at that and gently sets Itachi on the bed.

He was so light and vibrant today. Itachi didn't look the part of a man who had been stubbornly clinging to life for years. Utakata could easily pretend that he hadn't met Itachi during battle. That the battle hadn't very nearly killed the other man. It was a tempting thought.

"Good." Utakata decides to indulge in it for tonight. "I'm glad." He smiles. "That kimono is glorious, but I imagine you'll want to get out of it before it gets wrinkles."

It was a flimsy excuse and they both knew that. Not that really mattered. Mostly, he just wanted to get Itachi naked as fast as humanly possible. And his husband being the intelligent man that he was, well Utakata had every faith that he would figure that out quickly.

Itachi chuckles at the excuse as he slowly slides his sash off. "Yes, we wouldn't want the kimono to get wrinkles." He sighs somberly at the very thought. "That would be most unfortunate."

The amber eyed man nods his head enthusiastically in agreement. "That's very true." Drinking in the sight of the kimono that now hung rather loosely on Itachi's frame.

Without the sash, Utakata could see a tantalizing glimpse of Itachi's chest. He most assuredly did not look like a man who had recently been on his deathbed with those lithe and sculpted muscles on display. Well, he supposed that was just a perk of being a ninja.

"Is looking all you intend to do?" Itachi smiles and pulls him onto the bed, kissing him heatedly.

Oh looking was definitely not all he intended to do. Utakata intended to do quite a bit, really! He just wasn't entirely sure where he wanted to start!

On second thought, yes he did. First things first, Itachi needed to get out of that kimono and Utakata also needed to disrobe. Yes, that would be a fine start.

 **Warning Honeymoon Lemon**

With that thought in mind, Utakata eagerly returns the kiss and slides Itachi's robes off his shoulders. "Strip." A simple command, but Utakata scarcely recognized his own voice.

It was so guttural and thick with desire. Truthfully, he sounded almost like a different person. Even to himself.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Itachi laughs playfully as he slides the rest of the silky fabric off of him and tugs off his boxers, discarding them into the corner. "Though I do hope his Royal Highness has every intention of returning the favor."

Utakata did indeed! "Naturally." As his gaze trailed over the beauty that was his almost lover.

Itachi was simply beautiful. His crimson red eyes. That toned and slender body. His raven black hair and lightly sun kissed skin. And a rather impressive half formed erection. They would just have to fix that last part.

"Good." Itachi smiles as he rather unceremoniously yanks off Utakata's wedding kimono.

Honestly, that did surprise the Six Tails, but he wasn't going to complain. Itachi was just as eager as he was it seemed. Good. That was very good.

There was just one problem. Utakata wasn't exactly sure what manner of lovemaking the gorgeous man underneath him preferred. And truthfully, it felt more than a little awkward to ask.

"Don't worry." Itachi smiles as he suddenly pins Utakata underneath him. "It's my turn to take care of you for once."

Itachi had seen it. The uncertainty in those gorgeous amber eyes. The eyes that he had fallen in love with so easily. So he would remedy the situation.

"Is that so?" Utakata quirks an eyebrow.

Itachi nods as he leaves a trail of adoring kisses along the other man's jaw and over his throat. He could feel Utakata's pulse quicken underneath his kisses and decides to take that as a good sign.

Normally, having your neck exposed to another ninja didn't end well. To Itachi, this was truly the ultimate display of trust. To bare such a vulnerable spot was to put your life in the hands of another.

Itachi smiles as he nips Utakata's collarbone lightly. "It is so." After all, his husband had been doing almost nothing else since they got together.

It was time for him to return the favor. Admittedly, Itachi was more bluster than anything when it came to the carnal arts. He had little practical experience with them, but he had seen enough of others engaging in such activities that, he was reasonably confident that he could apply what he had learned.

"Well you have certainly aroused my… _interest."_ And what a fine interest it was!

Utakata was well endowed to put it mildly. Maybe, Itachi should fight to keep the reigns, he muses as he takes hold of Utakata's cock. Stroking gently at first. He didn't know what the other man liked yet. It would be a by trial and error approach. At least at first.

Itachi chuckles as he strokes the other man. "Mmm I can see that." He'd have to be blind not to see that!

Utakata sighs in pleasure as he bucks against Itachi's hand. For some reason, it felt far better when Itachi coaxed him towards completion than when he did it himself.

Maybe, it was the added visual effect. The eldest Uchiha was certainly stunning and with those crimson orbs dancing with lust and happiness, it wouldn't be hard to understand why all the blood was quickly rushing south.

That wasn't the only reason though. Itachi's hands were surprisingly soft for a ninja and skilled for someone who was that young. Idly, he wonders how much practice Itachi had.

The thought brings a growl to his lips. "Utakata, is something wrong?" Damn it.

He probably shouldn't have done that. It was just the thought of anyone else being touched by his husband in this way was enraging. Oh well, he'd just have to make sure that Itachi knew who he belonged.

Most likely by ravishing the other man so thoroughly, that he wouldn't be able to walk properly for a week. "No, nothing's wrong." Yes, that sounded like a fine idea. "Everything is very right. I love the way you play with my cock."

Itachi smiles at that. "I can tell." He leans over and kisses him suggestively as he strokes him faster. "You're already throbbing." Between every word, he kisses Utakata once more, taking the other man's breath away.

Itachi was either a natural seducer or he had had practice. Utakata decides not to care at that moment. Itachi had married him and no one else. Any lovers that he may have had in the past, well he would just have to firmly erase them from Itachi's memory.

"It's hard not to respond when you have a beautiful man playing with your kunai so well." Lust. His voice was thick with it, but Utakata didn't care. "Don't stop."

"That looks more like a sword to me." Itachi smiles as one hand glides down Utakata's muscular chest as the other plays strokes him faster and faster. "Do you prefer to give or receive pleasure?"

He probably should push to top. Mostly based on Utakata's size. Itachi didn't put much stock in stereotypical assumptions about someone's masculinity based on if he preferred to be the aggressor in bed or not. That was just foolish.

Surely, something for Naruto and Sasuke to argue with. He and Utakata were adults. "I prefer to give." There was no need to argue about such things as if they were frisky Genin or Chunins.

"I was a bit afraid that you were going to say that." Itachi's eyes follow Utakata as the man leans over and opens a drawer.

Utakata smiles at him. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you as any good husband should do." That word was going to take some getting used to.

Husband. They were married. He was married to this absolutely gorgeous man with eyes like amber and with more empathy than perhaps even Naruto.

"Alright, but first, I should take care of you." He smiles as he moves down slightly and takes Utakata into his mouth.

After all, his lover had done this for him. It was only fair. With that thought in mind, Itachi swirls his tongue around the sensitive tip and sucks lightly. Sucking gently.

Utakata groans as he tries to resist the impulse to thrust into that hot, wet mouth that was currently wrapped so wonderfully against his cock. "Damn it!" It took every ounce of willpower not to choke his husband by doing so.

Certainly, it didn't help matters that Itachi was looking up at him with those stunning crimson red eyes as he sucked him off. Itachi it seemed was an evil tease. Whether he was intentionally so or not, didn't matter to Utakata.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Itachi chuckles, causing pleasant vibrations to be sent up and down the length of Utakata's arousal as the slightly sadistic Uchiha takes more of him into his mouth.

Utakata could swear that his eyes were rolling to the back of his head at this point. "Fuck!" God that felt incredible. Now, Itachi was deepthroating him.

He barely had enough presence of mind left to quickly coat his fingers in the lubrication that he had grabbed. The Six Tails didn't actually want to hurt his lover and thus, such considerations were necessary. With that thought in mind, he glides his now well coated fingers over the curve of Itachi's firm ass and spreads his legs.

Itachi knew that he shouldn't, but he tensed up. Almost immediately. The eldest Uchiha Brother was not completely naïve. He knew exactly where Utakata intended to place those fingers.

"Relax." Utakata smiles reassuringly at him. "Just keep sucking. I promised that I would take care of you." That smile did make Itachi's heart melt. "Did I not?" As always.

Itachi nodded and goes back to sucking. There was something rather exhilarating about hearing such a powerful ninja lose themselves in the throes of passion. Then again, maybe that was merely because it was Utakata and no one else would have elicited such a reaction from Itachi.

The romantic notion was suddenly rather appealing to Itachi as he feels Utakata slowly slide a finger inside him. "Ah!" And moan as the Uchiha continues deepthroating him. "P-Perfect. Just relax and don't stop!"

It was hard to relax when you had a foreign object touching you so intimately, but Itachi wills himself to do so. His lover was slowly exploring him. Trying to prepare Itachi to accommodate him in the most intimate of ways.

"Alright." He manages to say as he sucks Utakata harder.

Itachi squirms as the digit gets more insistent. That was until it hit a certain spot inside him that made the young ninja see stars. He releases Utakata from his mouth and moans in pleasure.

Utakata smirks. "That's better." He groans in his own ecstasy when Itachi wraps his mouth around him again and sucks harder. "I-Itachi!" He couldn't help it. It was just impossible to resist.

The feeling of Itachi's mouth around him and those magnificent red eyes. It was too much. The Six Tails came hard and fast as he adds a second finger inside Itachi.

"Nhh!" Hitting that spot again and again. "Utakata!" Knowing that it was the easiest way to make Itachi feel as good as he had made him feel!

After several minutes of watching his alluring husband writhe around on the bed in all his naked glory, Utakata decides the other man was ready for him. "Come and sit on my lap. I want to see your eyes as I make love to you." Those eyes. He'd been a goner the moment that he looked at them.

He removes his fingers and Itachi quickly makes his way over to Utakata's lap. "I don't think there is anyone else, who I would allow to touch me in such deviant ways." The younger ninja smiles as he wraps his arms around Utakata's neck and kisses him.

"Good because I would kill anyone who tried it." Utakata whispers before returning the kiss and slowly sliding into Itachi.

Hot and tight! It was a good thing that he had just spilled his release moments before or else Utakata would have done it again! This was incredible. The feeling of being buried this deeply inside his lover was like nothing that he had ever known.

Itachi winces slightly as he rocks against his lover, trying to adjust. "It's alright. The pain is not too great." It could have hurt a lot more and he knew that.

Besides, it was hard to focus on pain for long when you had a sexy husband whose eyes were looking at you so filled with love and lust. Yes, there was different a lot of both emotion swirling around in those amber orbs and Itachi reveled in it.

"Good." Utakata moves inside him and strokes the other man.

It would be selfish not to help Itachi find release. Though judging by the fully erect member in his hand, it wouldn't take long for his husband to join him in bliss. Which was good because Itachi was gripping his cock so tightly inside himself, that it was all Utakata could do to keep from screaming in pleasure as he thrusted into him!

Itachi moans and throws his head back in pleasure as Utakata's hands roamed all over his body. Slowly and suggestively. Over his cock and over his chest. He could feel Utakata's lips now attaching themselves to his neck and gentle licks being placed upon his skin.

Everything was so intense. The powerful feeling of Utakata's thrusts. Being surrounded by his masculine scent. His heated touches and lustful moans. It felt as if he had truly been deprived of the full spectrum of sensation for his entire life, but they were quickly making up for lost time.

"You feel so good!" Utakata growls in pleasure.

And Itachi really, really liked it when his lover growled. There was something so primal about the sound that it sent a jolt of white hot lust straight through him as Itachi tries to ride his lover faster and faster. Eager for more of the sensation that being together could bring them both!

He could feel his eyes practically lulling to the back of his head as he did so. "Ah! Oh fuck!" Vulgarities flowing freely from his mouth, but Itachi didn't care.

As long as he had Utakata by his side, everything would be alright. "You're both my salvation and my damnation." Utakata lets go of his throat in favor of kissing him.

And what a kiss it was. It was as if his lover was trying to consume his very soul through that kiss as he claimed him over and over again. It was all Itachi could do to return the kiss and try not to moan like some common harlot.

"As you are mine." Itachi pants out as he rocks against Utakata desperately.

It was hard to tell where he ended and Utakata began. The two of them were moving in perfect harmony. As one!

Utakata groans as he strokes Itachi faster and runs his other hand along the Uchiha's back. Finally, settling on his ass, squeezing it. Squeezing it as he slammed inside his lover's hot depths.

How was it possible for someone to be so tight and yet fit him so perfectly? Utakata didn't know. And he decided that he didn't care.

All that mattered at this moment that he and Itachi were together. "Together!" And they would be together for the rest of their lives and hopefully, the ones after this one.

He didn't need to elaborate. His body and Itachi were moving as one. It was as if they were one person. "U-UTAKATA!" They both came hard and fast at the same time.

 **End of Honeymoon Lemon**

* * *

By the end of their Honeymoon, Itachi doubted there was a single spot in their home that they hadn't made love on at least once. There were even a few that he was sure they had made love on half a dozen times. Utakata was nothing, if not a very attentive and thorough lover.

"So do you think that they're finally together?" The elder Uchiha brother smiles and glances at his lover in amazement. "It has been two weeks and we did throw the bouquet and garter belt at them."

If that didn't do the trick, Itachi was sincerely thinking about just locking Sauske and Naruto together in the same room. Nature would surely take its course at some point. Wouldn't it?

Utakata laughs as he lovingly runs his fingers through Itachi's dark, silky tresses. "It's hard to say really." One could cut the sexual tension between those two idiots with a knife, but they were also very stubborn.

Itachi nods in understanding. "True. They're both very foolish." Utakata nods in agreement as his fingers slide through that perfect hair. "That's why they're perfect for each other."

Well it might have made sense to pair them up with someone less foolish than themselves, really. Still, Utakata couldn't deny that the two idiots needed to just stop dancing around each other and get on with it already!

"Yes, they are." Utakata nods. "Speaking of perfect for each other, I have been thinking about something."

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "Hmm. I must not have done my job very well then." He smirks. "You shouldn't be capable of complex thought for at least another week after our Honeymoon."

There was some merit to that idea. After all, their Honeymoon had been the best two weeks of his life. For most of it, Utakata had been almost delirious with pleasure.

"You did everything perfectly." It might be too early to ask this, but he was going to anyway. "Which is why, I want to add to the perfection that is our family."

Itachi tilts his head in confusion. "What do you mean?" Clearly, the other man didn't get what he was saying.

Not that Utakata could blame him. Two men couldn't have a baby together. Not naturally, anyway. It was only natural that such a thought wouldn't have occurred to his lover yet.

"You do have a Clan to restore." He nods.

Itachi shakes his head. "I'm not going to do it. I couldn't possibly take another lover besides you." Damn straight he couldn't! Utakata would never allow such thing!

"No. That wasn't what I had in mind." Hmm. "I'm not entirely sure how to broach this subject, but it is one that I do wish to discuss." How could he possibly explain this?

Itachi raises an eyebrow. That probably wasn't a good sign, but Utakata was going to press on anyway. He had to. For the sake of their children and for Itachi's Clan.

"I've spoken with Karin at great length about the various experiments that Orochimaru conducted in the Sound Village." That probably didn't come out the right way, but Utakata would not be daunted. "I believe that there is a way for us to combine our DNA and to use a surrogate in order to conceive a child that is of your blood and of mine."

Itachi blinks. Whatever he had been expecting, that certainly wasn't it. The Uchiha hadn't even known that children were something Utakata wanted. Let alone that having one that belonged to both of them biologically was apparently so important to him.

"I see." Itachi pauses as if he considers this information. "And you believe this to be a safe process?" It would be unwise to completely dismiss anything right away, he decides.

He had never thought that he would have children of his own, after the Massacre. Then again, he had never thought that he would be married either. So perhaps, anything was possible. Even fatherhood.

Utakata nods. "I wouldn't suggest it, if I didn't believe it was safe." Well that was a good point.

His husband was many things, but reckless wasn't one of them. Well at least not reckless enough to unnecessarily endanger the life of a child anyway. His own life, apparently that he was willing to gamble with.

And as selfish as it was to think such a thing, Itachi was glad that he was so impulsive. If Utakata wasn't, they wouldn't be married. Itachi doubted that anyone else would have done what the Six Tails had done. Loved him, after everything that he had done. Waited around long enough to hear the truth.

"That's true." Itachi caresses his lover's cheek affectionately. "Forgive me for asking such a thing." He smiles at the other man. "Of course, you would take every measure to ensure such a venture was safe."

Now, that it was a possibility though, Itachi found himself a bit at a loss. Did he really deserve to have children? What would he say, when the child grew up and asked about their grandparents?

That was a daunting thought. Though the thought of holding their child in his arms was an appealing one. What would such a girl or boy look like, he idly wonders.

"There's nothing to forgive." Utakata kisses his forehead. "It's only natural to ask such questions. After all, two men having a baby together isn't something that happens every day. At least not in this way." True enough.

Itachi nods in agreement. "Well I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make inquires about such a thing." He smiles mischievously. "After all, Sasuke and Naruto might also benefit one day from such knowledge."


	15. Chapter 15

Empathy

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 15

Sasuke wasn't sure whether his brother was a genius or just insane. Perhaps, he was both. He'd seen a lot of strange things in his life, but this certainly took the cake.

"Are you sure this is safe?" He raises an eyebrow as he looks at the surrogate.

Itachi nods and pokes Sasuke's forehead. "Of course it is, my foolish little brother." The elder Uchiha smiles at him. "We never would have done it, if the process hadn't been tested extensively already."

Somehow, Utakata and Itachi had forced Kabuto to make them a baby. Kinda. The medic had combined their genetic material and found a surrogate for them.

This child would have Utakata's, Itachi's, and the woman's DNA. Thus it would have two biological fathers and one mother. Though the surrogate apparently was just doing this for financial reasons. To say the least, she was going to be able to retire rather comfortably after this.

"That's good." It was still weird though.

Brilliant, but weird. Speaking of weirdly brilliant, Sasuke could feel the a certain lovable idiot's arms around him. This was no longer an unusual occurrence. His lover was very much a physical being.

Naruto beams as he "sneaks" in some cuddle time. "Well I think that it's great that you guys found someone willing to do that!" He grins cheekily at Sasuke. "Uncle Bastard has a nice ring to it."

Sasuke twitches at that. He was going to wash the blonde's mouth out with soap, if he even thought about saying such things in front of his niece or nephew!

Utakata shakes his head in amusement. "Thank you." The expectant fathers were practically glowing with pride and serenity. "Though you probably shouldn't say such things in front of the child." He nods sagely. "Itachi and Sasuke will kill you."

That was damn right! Sasuke wasn't going to let anything happen to the future of their Clan and he was going to smack Naruto. Both for the Uncle crack and for grabbing his ass in public.

"Naruto." He growls, his Sharingan whirling madly. "Get your hands off my ass. This isn't our bedroom."

Suigetsu laughs his ass off at that. "Wow." The sword lover apparently found their relationship to be the funniest thing ever. "So I was kinda wondering, since you two stopped living and denial, who tops?"

Itachi, Utakata, and Jugo all groan and smack their forehead upon hearing that. Karin didn't though. She smacks Suigetsu upside the head.

"You idiot!" Another smack. "You're such a brain dead pervert!" And a third one for good measure. "You don't just go around asking people about their sex lives like that!" Damn. Suigetsu was getting turned into a piñata and Sasuke loved it!

Still it was a good question. "I do!" Sasuke might as well answer it, but what was most irritating was that he wasn't he only one that said it.

"Well we both do sometimes!" Naruto grins.

Sasuke twitches and smacks him upside the head. Idiot. He was lucky that he loved him. Otherwise he would have started Chidoring Naruto in some very uncomfortable places, right about now!

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "I really didn't need to hear that, but it's good to see that your relationship is flourishing so well." He smiles as he kisses Utakata's cheek. "As is ours."

Despite the fact that Naruto was utterly infuriating, Sasuke couldn't help but smile at this. He was happy for his brother and Utakata. Their marriage was thriving and in a few month s, he'd be an uncle.

"Maybe, we could do it too." Naruto smiles at Sasuke.

He raises an eyebrow. "Do what?" The younger Uchiha Brother knew that he probably shouldn't have asked this was Naruto, but curiosity was a powerful force.

"Well, we could have a baby too!" Naruto beams as if it was obvious. "I mean, you want to restore your Clan anyway and I'm sure it would be really cute."

Oh boy. Sasuke blinks. He didn't even have any idea how to respond to that. Naruto had a couple points, but was the loveable idiot really ready for fatherhood?

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "Perhaps, you should give him some time to think it over." He looks at Utakata and smiles. "Come. Our surrogate is having her first doctor's appointment."

Itachi was greatly looking forward it. They had only recently confirmed her pregnancy, but he still wanted to ensure that everything was going as it should. After all, this wasn't your typical pregnancy. One had to be careful.

* * *

"Of course, My Love." And with that, the Six Tails follows Itachi off to the hospital. "It's nice to have a good reason to go to a hospital." He smiles at Itachi.

Indeed it was. Itachi could remember all too clearly, when he had been on bedrest for months. He'd very nearly died and he probably would have, if Utakata hadn't drug him to the hospital.

He nods in agreement. "That it is." He smiles and walks inside with his husband.

It didn't take them long to find Kabuto and their surrogate. The silver haired medic had been drug to the Waterfall Village. Mostly against his will, but he had soon come around.

After all, Orochimaru was gone now. Staying in the Sound without his mentor wasn't that appealing when Kabuto realized there was a chance he could get caught. And really, there was no safer place for him than the Waterfall Village.

"Well as expected, we can't tell much yet." Kabuto looks at the happy couple as they walk in. "It's barely enough time to confirm her pregnancy."

Itachi frowns a bit at that. "As expected, but how are you feeling Mitszu?" The eldest Uchiha looks over their surrogate from head to toe.

The woman might not want anything to do with the child she bore, but that didn't mean Itachi was completely unconcerned for her. Mitszu was doing them quite the favor and as such, she was entitled to their respect and the best care available.

"I feel fine." She smirks. "In a few months, I'll be a wealthy woman and you'll have your bouncing baby brat."

Itachi immediately grabs Utakata's hand. He had seen the way his husband's eyes narrowed at that description of their son or daughter. And he didn't care for it.

The former Akatsuki Member was rather irritated with the description as well. Truth be told, the woman was lucky she was pregnant at the moment. Itachi rarely lost his temper, but she had apparently decided to push the limits of his patience.

"Exactly." Kabuto nods as he marks down a few notes. "Well thus far everything looks normal." He smirks as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Mitszu is a perfectly healthy woman. I don't foresee any problems developing with this pregnancy."

That was good. Itachi didn't think he could have handled it, if that hadn't been the case. He had done a lot of horrible things in his life and experienced more pain than anyone should ever endure, but that was one of only a few things that could possibly break him. Losing this child.

It surprised him, really. This child had been Utakata's idea, but Itachi already felt his parental instincts kicking in. Instincts that he had never applied to anyone, but Sasuke and even then, the bond between brothers and the one between a parent and a child was a little different to say the least.

"We're very glad to hear that." Utakata nods.

It would be almost nine months until their child was born, but Itachi was already wondering about the baby. Would it be a boy? A girl? Who would it look like more? Would it take after him or Utakata? Perhaps both of them or neither?

There were so many questions that were spinning around in his mind. Though it would take time to get his answers. The first one that would be answered was the gender, but even that was a few months off.

"As am I." Mitszu nods.

The woman was from the Mist Village. She was a beautiful ninja and known for her excellent use of Earth Style. Itachi knew that she wouldn't stick around after the birth of their son or daughter, but he wanted to ensure that their child had exceptional genes in as many aspects as possible.

The woman was a highly skilled ninja, intelligent, and beautiful. It was just her personality that left something to be desired. She was a Nomadic Ninja and unlike Utakata, money was her chief concern.

Kabuto shakes his head, apparently even he was moderately appalled at the Mist Woman's attitude. "Have you been taking your prenatal vitamins?" Though that wouldn't stop him.

"Of course." She gives him a dirty look. "I'm not that careless." Well if nothing else, Itachi knew that the red head would keep her end of the deal.

"Excellent. I'll just do your blood work and then you can be on your way." Kabuto smiles.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Leaf Village, Tsunade shakes her head. Well so far so good. It had been months and war hadn't broken out. They had all gotten incredibly lucky.

"Have you heard from them at all?" The Hokage looks at her student warily.

Sakura takes out a letter and hands it to the busty Hokage. "Yes, I got this letter." She smiles at her. "It's good news, but I'm not really sure how its possible."

Tsunade raises an eyebrow at that and looks over the letter. The contents were surprising to say the least. Tsunade wasn't sure whether laugh or be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

 _ **Dear Sakura,**_

 _ **Hey! It's me, Naruto. Long time, no see. Well we're all pretty well situated here now. I'm sorry that I didn't write you sooner.**_

 _ **The reason is because Itachi and Utakata got married. Yeah. Apparently, two guys can do that.**_

 _ **And there's more, they're going to have a baby. Don't ask. I don't know how it's possible either. Something about using a surrogate and Orochimaru's meddling.**_

 _ **That's not the best part though. You might wanna sit down before you read this part. I'll wait.**_

 _ **Are you sitting down?**_

 _ **Okay! Good! Well Sasuke and I are dating now! The bastard was apparently only a bastard to me because he was secretly in love with me! Then again, who wouldn't be? I'm pretty awesome! Believe it!**_

 _ **I hope you and Kakashi Sensei are doing well. Give my best to Granny Tsunade.**_

 _ **Love, Naruto.**_

"I don't know what is scarier." Tsunade sighs as she rubs her temples. "The fact that Itachi and Utakata are having a baby or the fact that Sasuke and Naruto are together." She could feel a migraine forming.

Sakura shakes her head. "Me neither to be honest." Though the blonde was relieved to see that her student was taking this news far better than expected.

After all, Sasuke had been her first love. Well crush in Tsunade's mind, but why quibble? This couldn't be easy for her. Seeing that Sasuke not only loved someone else, but a man. A man who was her former teammate at that.

"Sakura, let's go get some more sake." That sounded like the best idea in a situation like this.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" She nods her head energetically and with that, the two of them quickly headed off together.

* * *

A few hours later, Utakata smiles as he sits in bed with Itachi in his arms. His lover was reading a book. Not just any book though. A book filled with potential baby names.

"See any that are of particular interest?" He asks with a smirk.

Itachi smiles as he flips another page. "There are quite a lot of good names." He'd been at this for hours. "But I don't think that I've seen the perfect name yet."

Frankly, it was adorable. Utakata was rather tempted to just yank that book out of his beloved's arms and start ravishing him. Then again, almost everything that Itachi did or didn't do made the Six Tails want to ravish him. So that wasn't exactly a new experience.

"Yes, only the very best will do." He smirks and kisses Itachi's neck.

He did have such a delightfully elegant one. It was a neck that he took great joy in marking up. It was probably a bit barbaric of him, but Utakata greatly enjoyed making his claim known.

Itachi sighs in pleasure at the affectionate gesture. "Mmm. You're distracting me." Yes, yes he was. That was kinda the point.

"Why don't you put the book away for awhile?" The amber eyed man smirks. "We have months to choose a name."

The other ninja shakes his head. "No. Knowing you, you'll continually seduce me until right up to the moment the baby is about to be born." Maybe. "And then we won't have a name picked out." That would be unfortunate. "And then what will we do?" Wing it?

He shakes his head. Well Itachi was Itachi. Once he got an idea into his head, it was very difficult to get it out of there. Oh well. He would just have to wait.

How long could it really take someone to pick out a baby name? Not that long. Surely?

"I suppose you're right." Though Utataka probably would have said that even if Itachi was wrong. "What are you hoping for?" He decides to clarify. "A boy or a girl?"

Itachi chuckles in amusement. It was as thought the other man found that question to be quite entertaining and knowing the Uchiha, that was a very real possibility. Still, the former nomad thought it was a rather legitimate inquiry and one way or another, he was going to get an answer!

The other man shakes his head. "I don't know." Itachi smiles at him and leans over to kiss his husband. "I suppose it is a 50-50 shot. So our preference matters little."

Utakata smiles and returns the kiss. "True enough, but everyone has a preference." And anyone who said otherwise, well they were lying.

"I don't truly." The Uchiha beams at him. "A bouncing baby boy or a beautiful baby girl, either is perfect to him."

"You are _such_ a liar." The amber eyed man chuckles as he kisses his husband more deeply. "But you're my beautiful liar and that's all that matters."

* * *

Elsewhere Taka was plotting. Well more specifically, Naruto was plotting with Taka. The blonde wasn't going to miss this golden opportunity. No way! Believe it!

"Loser, what the Hell are you doing?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

Naruto grins widely at him. "I'm making a playground for the baby!" Sasuke smacks is forehead in response.

Naruto didn't know why. The playground was going to be awesome. Sasuke was just jealous because he thought of it first, but whatever. He was sure that Itachi's kid would love it and so would their kids one day!

"Um Naruto, that's sweet and everything." Karin blinks as she looks at whatever the blonde was attempting to make. "But I don't think carpentry is really your greatest strength."

The blonde had absolutely no idea what Karin was talking about. It looked great to him! It just wasn't finished yet.

"And you know wood means splinters." Suigetsu shakes his head as he looked at Kisame. "Wanna show him how its done?" Oh. Right splinters.

Hey wait. When did Kisame get here? Nevermind. Kisame was a former member of the Akatsuki. Akatsuki people were so damn sneaky. The way they could move around with absolute silence was creepy, even by ninja standards!

Kisame grins, showing off his sharp teeth. "Yeah. Itachi would probably kill us, if his kid got splinters." They still reminded Naruto way too much of a shark's.

Those couldn't possibly be natural, right? Nevermind. It didn't really matter. He steps away from the Shark Man and over to his Bastard.

Thankfully, that no longer seemed to bother Sasuke. He didn't bother to shoo him away anymore in public. He could sneak in some snuggling or cuddling, just as long as he didn't actually call it that.

"This might not end well." Jugo sighs and shakes his head as if to ward off an impending natural disaster of some kind!

Sheesh! He was being way overdramatic! Well at least that's what Naruto thought until he witnessed the unholy terror that was Kisame and Suigetsu working together on building a playground.

"Loser, let's get out of here." Sasuke didn't look entirely comfortable at the prospect of Kisame wielding a saw.

Not that Naruto could blame him. The giant blue fish man looked entirely too happy to be wielding that potentially lethal power tool. Yeah. It would probably be better to get out of here now. Before something bad happened!

"Yeah!" He grabs Sasuke's hand and Flickers them off. "Good idea!"

* * *

Back with Utakata and Itachi, Itachi smiles as he snuggles up against Utakata. "Well I'm sure that we'll find a good name soon." There hadn't been much luck tonight, but Itachi would figure something out. He always did.

"Exactly." Utakata kisses his temple. "Don't worry about it." Yeah. "We've got all the time in the world."

Well all the time in the world was definitely something of an exaggeration. It was less than a year. Still, a lot of things could happen in that amount of time. Surely, they'd come up with a suitable name!

"You're right, My Love." He smiles at his husband and caresses his cheek.

If nothing else, he had Utakata and Sasuke back in his life. Taka was also most amusing and watching Sasuke interact with Naruto could be downright comical at times.

All in all, Itachi was rather content. Now, all he had to do was wait and see. Wait and see what their child would be like. He could only hope that the boy or girl would be healthy.

Utakata pauses as he looks at Itachi. "Did you wish to be in the delivery room?" Oh right. That was a good question.

There was a chance that Mitszu wouldn't want them there. After all, they were essentially strangers to her. Strangers who were paying her to be their surrogate, but still.

"If she is agreeable to such a thing, I think it would be best." Otherwise he would just wear a hole in hospital's floors.

Itachi knew that he would. He'd be on pins and needles until this child was born. And God help them all, when it was Sasuke's turn. His foolish little brother would likely be even worse!

Utakata seems to be considering this. "Yes, for moral support." Yes, that and Itachi would be less likely to go crazy, if he could actually see what was happening.

The nomadic ninja then smiles at his husband and plays with his hair. Utakata doubted that he would ever get enough of the other man. His very presence was utterly captivating to him.

"Yes." Itachi nods and seems to almost purr at the attention. "Precisely." It was rather endearing. "Moral support."

"Don't worry, so much." He smiles at the Uchiha. "Kabuto says that there is no reason that Mitszu shouldn't have a perfectly healthy pregnancy." True. He was probably worried over nothing. "And he is an excellent medic. A snake, but an excellent medic."

Well that wasn't entirely fair, Utakata thinks to himself. Snakes were born snakes. Kabuto was far worse than a snake in many ways.

He may have started out innocent as all children did, but the man had willingly served Orochimaru. Served him after the medic knew full well what that deviant. The mere thought of what had happened in the Sound causes Utakata to shiver slightly.

"You were thinking about Orochimaru weren't you?" Itachi raises an eyebrow.

Sometimes, it was more than a little unsettling, how easily his love could read his mind. Though the amber eyed ninja was starting to get used to it. Itachi was just Itachi. He was good at that sort of thing.

He sighs and nods. "Yes, a bit." Utakata shakes his head. "I'll admit that it feels strange to be in his debt in a way." Without Orochimaru, they couldn't have had a child of their own. That belonged to both of them biologically.

"Don't think about it too much." Itachi shrugs and smiles. "My foolish little brother killed him." The idea seemed to ignite a spark of mischief in Itachi's eyes. "Which was really one of his better ideas." He pauses. "I'm actually impressed he had enough foresight to do that."

Utakata chuckles. "Did you only want one child?" He could scarcely imagine how their children would react. "You and your brother have such an intense relationship. Is that normal for Uchiha Siblings?"

There was a pregnant pause and for a moment, Utakata thought that he had gone too far. Though Itachi as always, managed to surprise him. It was just another of his many, many talents.

"I should think, that they'd appreciate foolish little brother or sister, if that's something that interests you." Itachi smiles at him slyly. "And if it doesn't, a foolish little cousin will have to do."

Yes, his Itachi was truly one of a kind. "I like the sound of both those options." He kisses him. "Why settle for just one?" After all, with some poking and prodding, Sasuke and Naruto were bound to opt for fatherhood. Eventually.


	16. Chapter 16

Empathy

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of **Empathy.**

 **Chapter Notation:** Other than flashbacks, this chapter is set three years after the last one.

Chapter 16

"Up! Up!" Sachi Uchiha giggles madly as she stumbles toddles over to Itachi's side.

Itachi smiles at his daughter and scoops her up into his arms. The girl was three and apparently there was no greater pleasure for her other than being held or carried around somewhere. She was just like his foolish little brother that way.

Utakata chuckles and shakes his head in amusement. "She's most assuredly a spoiled Uchiha Princess." He smiles and kisses the toddler's forehead affectionately.

"Is there any other kind?" Itachi laughs softly as she sways the child in his arms.

She was such a beautiful child. With her father's gorgeous amber eyes and Itachi's raven black locks, the eldest Uchiha Brother knew that his daughter was going to be quite the heartbreaker when she grew up.

His husband shakes his head. "I doubt it." He smiles at the two year old.

Sachi's name meant bliss and she lived up to it, in Itachi's mind. She had brought them nothing, but bliss. Well except for in the beginning. There had been many sleepless nights until her sleep schedule had evened out, but even that was worth it.

Itachi was also tremendously relieved that their daughter no longer needed diapers either. That had been a rather annoying experience, but it was worth it. Every little smile and laugh made such indignities worth it.

"God help the village boys in about ten years." Sasuke smirks as he walks inside their house, carrying his son upon his back.

Yes, even Naruto and Sasuke had managed to marry and spawn. Yes, spawn. Their son must have inherited some of the Nine Tail's energy or something. That boy could get into anything!

The Uchiha Patriarch shakes his head in amusement as he watches Sasuke walk over to him. "I was about to say the same thing for the village girls." He smiles at Katsu. His nephew.

While Sachi had inherited her grandmother's face and her father's ears, Katsu was an adorable mix of Naruto and Sasuke. The boy had Sasuke's trademark ivory skin and dark locks, but he also had Naruto's bright blue eyes and whisker marks. (Not to mention, his energy).

Itachi had often wondered how it was possible for anyone to have that much energy. It was almost like his foolish little brother fed the boy bottles of pure sugar instead of formula sometimes! Katsu's name meant victory and well, apparently his version of victory was getting into everything!

"Yeah." Naruto grins. "Good thing he has my smile, huh?"

Oh boy. Sometimes, Itachi sincerely had to wonder, if Naruto was indeed a masochist. The man certainly acted the part sometimes.

It was almost as if the blonde deliberately sought out to provoke his brother. Luckily, these days their play fights were exactly that. Just play fights. Itachi would even go so far as to say it was some bizarre form of foreplay.

Sasuke smacks Naruto upside the head. "You're an idiot." He rolls his eyes. "Clearly, he has my smile."

Itachi was having a rather difficult time not laughing. Well if nothing else, watching Sasuke and his husband bicker was always amusing. That much was for certain.

"You're delusional." Naruto sticks his tongue out.

"Silly daddies!" Katsu laughs as he clings to Sasuke's back and Sasuke kisses Naruto.

Yes. It was definitely a strange form of foreplay. That had to be it. Their relationship was a strange one. Though Itachi was very much relieved that those two had stopped dancing around each other.

 _"So what finally did it?" Itachi smirked at Sasuke. "What made you act on your feelings for Naruto?"_

 _He had to know. His foolish little brother and his fox had been in love for years. Neither of them ever made a move though._

 _Sasuke rolled his eyes and threw a book at Itachi. "Your meddling husband." A very familiar book with a blue cover._

 _Upon seeing which book it was, Itachi burst out laughing. The spinoff series that was based on Jiraiya's works. Erotic literature for men who preferred the company of men. This was hilarious._

 _"Really?" Itachi blinked. "That's what did it?!"_

 _Sasuke's face burned a bright red in response. "Yes, really." He sighed and shook his head as though feeling rather embarrassed. "Naruto was curious about it and one thing lead to another."_

 _Itachi bet it did. At the time, he had easily imagined what had happened. With a disturbing clarity._

 _"Care to elaborate on that?" He poked Sasuke's forehead affectionately. "My foolish little brother?"_

 _Sasuke glared at the poke. "Well it started off innocently." The younger Uchiha suddenly found his sandals fascinating for some reason. "He wanted to see if kissing a man on purpose was the same as kissing a woman." He paused for a moment and added as an afterthought. "We were both drunk at the time…"_

 _Drunken kisses. Yes, Itachi was having a rather difficult time not laughing his ass off at the moment. The image was simply too amusing._

 _"And I take it these drunken kisses met with his satisfaction?" The elder Uchiha smirked._

 _Sasuke's blush actually got redder. "Very much so." He glared at Itachi. "We're never talking about this again."_

 _"Of course, Sasuke." Though he knew his smirk was only growing wider by the minute. "Never again." And with that, Itachi crossed his fingers behind his back and lead Itachi off to celebrate his new relationship by getting him the second book in that series!_

"Yes, very silly daddy." Itachi laughs at Katsu's accurate observation.

Utakata shakes his head. "We should probably get going, if we want to find good seats for the festival." He smiles at them.

It was the festival that was held once a year to celebrate the founding of the Waterfall Village. It was great fun. Music, dancing, food, games, and just about everything that one could imagine.

"You're right, My Love." Itachi smiles and kisses his cheek. "As always. Let's go. I imagine that Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu are already there."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "And that's supposed to encourage us to head out faster?" Good point.

Still, Sachi wasn't going to be that easily deterred. His daughter loved the festival. That much was obvious.

"Go now!" She giggles. "Festival!" And well what an Uchiha Princess wants, an Uchiha Princess gets.

"I do believe that you've just been overruled, Sasuke." Utakata gives his Brother-In-Law a sympathetic look. "Let's go."

* * *

With that being said, it didn't take them long to arrive by the river. The festival was in full swing. The sound of music playing could be heard and the scent of freshly cooked food filled the air as people laughed and danced. There were booths set up with various games everywhere.

Utakata smiles and places his hand around Itachi's waist. Alright. That was a lie. He places his around his lover's firm backside and walks around with him.

Sachi was still happily riding on her father's back and greeting everyone she recognized. "Uncle Suigetsu and Uncle Kisame!" She giggles. "And Auntie Karin!"

"Oh hey, there Shrimp One!" Suigetsu smirks as he bounds over to them and then looks at Katsu. "And of course, Shrimp Two!"

Utakata shakes his head. There were days when Suigetsu was clearly asking for it. A Chidori or Fireball to some rather uncomfortable areas. Though he supposed that Itachi and Sasuke would figure out when he deserved it most. Most likely, the two brothers were plotting to take such measures when the other man least suspected it.

If there was one thing the Six Tails had learned over the years, it was to never piss off the Uchiha Brothers. They could both be extremely vengeful. And if anything, Itachi was _worse_ than Sasuke in that regard!

"Uncle Fishy." Sachi sticks out her tongue at him.

The amber eyed ninja chuckles at that. Well if nothing else, at least their daughter could hold their own against the sword lover. She was going to be one tough customer one day!

Karin laughs. "You deserved that one." The red head looks around observing the beautiful day.

The sky was bright blue and the day was warm, even with a few fluffy, white clouds hovering in the sky. It was spring and the flowers were in bloom. Utakata usually didn't pay much attention to such things, but even he couldn't completely ignore the almost picturesque scene.

He wasn't exactly sure how, but somehow everything had worked out. Kisame and Suigetsu had opened up a weapons shop together. Karin was now working as a medic. Thankfully without getting turned into a human chew toy. .Sasuke and Naruto were now married and part of Shibuki's personal guard and well, then there was him and Itachi.

"Hey!" Suigetsu gives her a dirty look. "Whose side are you on?"!

They had been married for three blissful years thus far and had a beautiful two year old. Not to mention, they were both Academy Instructors. The horrors of the past might not have been forgotten, but the present and future were more than bright enough to make those horrors seem as if they were nothing more than a memory of a bad dream.

Karin pretends to be thinking about it really hard. "Hmm on the side of the loudmouth or the cute kid." Itachi laughs softly at that. "That's a tough choice." So did Sasuke and Naruto. "Decisions, decisions."

That's when Shibuki walks over to them and smiles. It was nice to have such an even tempered Kage. Really, Utakata had no idea how other ninja villages dealt with their eccentric Kages (save for perhaps the Sand), but he was glad that their leader rarely lost himself in bizarre displays or to poor habits.

"This just arrived." He smiles and hands it to Naruto. "It's from the Leaf." Hmm. That might not be a good thing.

Naruto grins. "Alright. Thanks!" And with that, the blonde opens it and begins reading as Shibuki nods and heads off.

 _ **Dear Naruto,**_

 _ **Give my best birthday wishes to Katsu. I still can't believe you and Sasuke had a son! Let alone that he's a year old.**_

 _ **I hope everything is going well in the Waterfall Village. I really wish that you and Sasuke hadn't left. We could have worked something out, but as long as your happy that's what matters most.**_

 _ **Lady Tsunade is getting ready to retire. She plans to have Kakashi take over for her. Though I know she would rather it be you. I understand that you have a life there, but just so you know…she says the offer is still available, if you ever change your mind.**_

 _ **Things are going well here. I love being a medic. Sai is dating Ino and even learning how to smile in a less creepy way! Captain Yamato is helping him.**_

 _ **Oh and of course, Kakashi Sensei is still making a lot of bets with Guy Sensei. Those two are weird sometimes. Do you think they're like you and Sasuke?**_

 _ **Anyway, I just wanted to send my love. Good luck. I'm still amazed that you and Sasuke haven't killed each other yet. Katsu is really cute though!**_

 _ **Love, Sakura.**_

Naruto laughs. Yeah. That sounded like Sakura alright. He wondered if she knew that Katsu belonged to both of them or not.

Oh well. It didn't really matter. He had his favorite bastard now and a really cute son. A son that had a habit of setting things on fire when he had a temper tantrum, but his cousin was already casting rudimentary Genjutsus. So maybe that was just normal for Uchiha babies.

"I really don't like it that she signs her letters that way." Sasuke glares.

The girl used to pant all over him. Now, she was getting too cozy with his husband. On one hand, Sasuke knew that he was being ridiculous. Naruto would never stray and Sakura wasn't the type to encourage such behavior. On the other hand, well it was really annoying!

Naruto laughs and kisses Sasuke. "Relax." He smiles at the irritated Uchiha. "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

The other man kisses back happily. That was true. After Naruto had chased him all over the Five Nations for years, it didn't seem likely the blonde would leave. This was especially true now that they had Katsu.

Naruto and Katsu were the great loves of his life. Well them and Itachi, but the love you had for your child and husband was a little different than the one you had for your brother. Damn it. He was getting off topic here.

"Good." Sasuke smiles. "Because you're a loser, but you're MY loser."

Itachi chuckles and shakes his head at that. His brother certainly had a rather interesting way of declaring his love to say the least. Then again, this was Sasuke and Naruto. Those two had never done anything conventionally.

"Great!" Naruto grins. "Same here. You're a bastard, but you're MY bastard."

* * *

The rest of the evening somehow proceeds fairly normally. By the time that the Sun was setting though, well Sachi and Katsu were both clearly ready for their naps. Not that Itachi could entirely blame them.

It had been a long and exciting day for the grownups. He could only imagine how the toddlers were handling it. Best to get them into bed then.

"See you tomorrow!" Jugo smiles and waves at everyone as he makes his departure, Karin, Kisame, and Suigetsu weren't far behind.

That was one of the nicest things about Jugo. He certainly knew how to handle Taka without having to get aggressive about it. It was a gift really, Itachi muses to himself.

Sasuke glances at Itachi. "Try not to wear Utakata out too much this time." The other Uchiha stretches lazily. "He promised me that he was going to teach us how to play poker tomorrow."

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but why do you suddenly have an interest in poker?" His foolish little brother had never had an interest an gambling before this moment as far as he knew.

Itachi suddenly found himself worrying about Sasuke. The three things that could bring down even the most powerful ninjas were women, alcohol, and gambling. Obviously women wasn't an issue for his gay foolish little brother. Alcohol and gambling on the other hand, well they might be.

"It's strip poker." Sasuke smirks. "I wanna make the idiot lose his shirt." And with that, Sasuke heads off with Naruto and Katsu.

The elder Uchiha laughs. He couldn't believe that his foolish little brother had just said that. Then again, this was Sasuke. One never knew what was going to come out of his mouth next.

"Well that was…entertaining." Itachi smiles as he carries a half asleep Sachi on his back and heads off with Utakata towards their house.

Utakata snorts in amusement. "Yes, that's one way to put it." Indeed. It most certainly was.

* * *

A few moments later, he smiles as he scoops up Sachi and quickly puts her to bed. After all, the poor thing was half asleep when Sachi went to the bed, well the daddies could play.

"You're so good with her." Itachi smiles at the sight. "Maybe, we should think about giving her a little sister or brother more seriously."

He couldn't help, but chuckle at that thought. Well as long as Sachi's younger brother or sister wasn't anywhere near as hyper as Katsu, they should be able to manage that. Two Katsus though and this village would never survive!

The former Nomadic Ninja quickly walks over to Itachi and kisses his forehead. "Mmm. I think that I'd like that." He grins at the other man. "Do you know what else I would like?" Rather suggestively.

Itachi gives Utakata a rather sly look. "Perhaps a hot bubble bath." He smirks at his suggestion, clearly quite pleased with his own cleverness.

Utakata loved that smirk. No one did the sexy smirk better than his husband for the record. He'd never seen anyone who could smirk as well as his lover did.

"That does sound rather nice ." A naked Itachi in a bubble bath. "Why don't you go start it?" What could possibly be better than that?

Nothing. That's what. Absolutely nothing could be better than that! It was the start of more than one of the Six Tail's fantasies.

"Alright." Itachi saunters off, with a seductive sway to his hips. "I'll see you in a few minutes then." Oh yes, Itachi most certainly would.

He would see ALL of Utakata. It was going to be a very long and fun night. Thank goodness for Soundproofing Jutsus or else poor Sachi would never get any rest, he thinks to himself.

Their official Honeymoon might have ended awhile ago, but the unofficial one was still going strong. And really, who could possibly blame him? He had the sexiest husband on the planet!

"Better hurry." He smirks as he follows after Itachi.

As soon as he was in the bathroom, he notices that Itachi was checking the temperature of the water. His husband was good at stuff like that. It was the little details that Itachi truly excelled in.

Well that and other things. Alright. So Itachi was amazing at almost everything he did. That was unless it involved anything artistic. Sachi was a better artist than Itachi when it came to things like drawing and painting. (Seriously, Itachi was still stuck at stick figures).

"How hot do you want it?" Itachi smiles at him as he pours the bubbles in.

Utakata smirks at that question. "As hot as you can handle it." Itachi wasn't even trying to seduce him at the moment, but the other man definitely was.

There was something about Itachi leaning over the tub and pouring in bubble bath that was ridiculously erotic. Probably because he used bubbles in battles. Utakata knew that many people would find that strange, but his bubbles as Suigetsu would say were badass.

"Alright then." Itachi turns the temperature up and quickly disrobes, gesturing for Utakata to join him in the tub.

Naturally, the amber eyed ninja didn't hesitate to do likewise. He would have been a complete idiot to resist an invitation like that! And while Utakata was certainly many things, an idiot wasn't one of them.

"You know, I have been wondering something." He smiles as he caresses Itachi's cheek. "About us."

Itachi tilts his head to the side in confusion. "What about us?" It was adorable.

It was strange how one of the strongest ninjas to have ever lived could be so damn adorable sometimes. Strange, but beautiful at the same time. Itachi was nothing, but a series of wonderful contradictions!

"What was it that made you fall in love with me?" He kisses Itachi's lips ever so lightly. "I know why I fell in love with you. It was how much you care. The fact that you were willing to die for other people's happiness, but not your own." That had floored him. "And it doesn't hurt that you're the most beautiful man that I've ever seen."

Itachi smiles and kisses back. "It was a lot of things really." His kisses were addictive.

That was the only way that Utakata knew how to describe them. There was almost nothing that he wouldn't do to feel Itachi's lips against his. And while that thought should have terrified him, it didn't.

"What was the main thing then?" He looks at him with a smile as he admires the view of his beloved surrounded by bubbles.

Bubbles should have been childish. They should have been cute, but somehow against Itachi's lightly sun kissed skin they were the height of eroticism. Then again, this was Itachi Uchiha. He could make anything look erotic. Utakata was quite certain of this.

Itachi smiles as he looks up into his eyes. "It was your empathy." His what?

That didn't make any sense. Utakata had been a Nomadic Ninja. He hadn't been thinking of anyone, but himself at the time that he first met Itachi. So how could his empathy possibly be the answer to that question?

"What do you mean?" His brow scrunches up in confusion.

The Uchiha's serene smile never wavered. "Your empathy was what attracted me most to you." He was the picture of absolute serenity as if he was completely confident in his answer.

It didn't matter that his answer still made absolutely no sense. Nothing was going to interfere with Itachi's Zen as Jugo called it. (Sasuke's friends did have such a unique way of describing almost everything, Utakata muses to himself).

"When I woke up, your eyes…they were beautiful." Itachi smiles and traces his thumb over Utakata's lip. "Not only in coloration, but also in emotion. They shown with empathy for me. For a complete stranger who had attacked you."

Oh. So that's what Itachi meant. At the time, Utakata had been shocked that such a sick ninja would dare to challenge him and strangely worried about whether or not Itachi would make it through the night.

He had no way of knowing it back then, but it was for good reason. Before the other ninja had even known what was happening, he had fallen in love with Itachi. And well the rest was history.

"Well I'm glad that you saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself at the time." He smiles and sucks on Itachi's thumb before releasing it. "Because I can't imagine my life without you." And with that, he pulls Itachi in for a heated kiss.

Itachi happily returns it. "And I can't imagine my life without you." He smiles serenely at him. "For once, the bubbles didn't pop." Huh?

"Itachi, I love you with all my heart. I truly do, but there are times when I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." The bubbles didn't pop?

That made no sense. Though Utakata soon stopped worrying about making sense or anything else when Itachi kisses him again. It was just the first of many and the beginning of a beautifully passionate night.

* * *

By the time morning came, Itachi just smiles at him. "Don't worry about it." And caresses his face adoringly. "This time, I'll make sure the bubbles don't disappear. Ours is a love that will last forever."

That was both the most romantic and confusing thing that anyone had ever said to him. "Good." He smiles and kisses Itachi. "I love you, even if you are crazy."

Itachi just laughs and returns the kiss. "And I love you because you're crazy." He smirks at him. "We're ninjas after all. We're supposed to be crazy. At least in our case, it's a beautiful madness. It's love." And Utakata just smiles at that because truer words had never been spoken.


End file.
